Vege health for kids

“Obesity in children an ‘epidemic’ screamed the headlines recently, reporting that more than a quarter of under 11s carry more fat than they should.
  A frighteningly large number of children suffer ill health because of obesity, and not always from the kinds of diseases you’d expect to see in children. Adult diseases such as high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes are now appearing in younger and younger people and the problem is getting worse.
  But are there any easy solutions? In his book, ‘Dr Spock’s Baby and Child Care’, paediatrician Dr Benjamin Spock reckoned the way to get children to lose weight is to change the type of food they eat rather than the amount. He encouraged shifting the entire family away from oily fried foods, meats and dairy products and toward lowfat, plant-based foods – grains, pasta, vegetables, pulses and fruit. When this is done, he said: “Weight loss typically occurs without anyone going hungry.”

Bulging in the USA
Obesity is particularly rife in the United States, where 45% of preteenage girls, and 20% of pre-teenage boys report having been on a diet, according to a national survey.
  Echoing Dr Spock’s advice, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit organisation promoting preventive medicine in the USA, says: “Instead of centring meals around fatty meats and cheese they should be built from healthy grains, legumes (pulses) and vegetables.”
  PCRM bills these foods as the ‘New Four Food Groups’, and suggests that they benefit the entire family: “People who consume diets built from these foods tend to experience a much lower rate of heart disease, cancer and stroke. And they can also bring weight problems, which contribute to a host of health problems, under control.”
  Its website is packed with advice on teaching kids to eat well and keeping them moving, and even contains sample menus and healthy snack ideas. Bean burritos, pasta with marinara sauce, vegetable stirfries and vegetable soup all prove a hit with children, it suggests.

Kids get active
We all know that most of us don’t take as much exercise as we should, mostly because our jobs don’t require it. Information technology, the car, laboursaving devices, lifts, automatic doors, TV and computer games and warmer houses all play a part. And it’s much the same for children.
  It’s obvious to say that more activity helps with weight control. People who exercise the most are the least likely to be obese. Just as importantly, those who are the most physically active gain less weight as they get older than those who are sedentary...”

Provided by the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation, the article continues to describe the benefits to kids of a vegetarian diet. There is a guide VEGE HEALTH FOR KIDS on the VVF website for £2.50 inc p&p. Click here to go to links page