America's children are suffer
from horrific rates of malnutrition: a whopping 32% are overweight or obese,
and many will die prematurely due to complications of obesity, including heart
disease and type 2 diabetes.
While there is no miracle-pill that will cure obesity in a child or adult, it
is best to eliminate weight problems as early in life as possible. While almost
all adult weight-loss supplements are powerful stimulants that would be
dangerous for children, other supplements may offer promise in safely treating
childhood obesity and related conditions.
Fighting Pediatric Deficiencies with a Balanced Multivitamin
Though we
associated starvation with excessive thinness, many overweight children are
more deficient in key vitamins and minerals than their underweight peers.
Several studies have shown alarming deficiencies in calcium, iron, and vitamin
D among overweight children. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can easily lead
to depression, learning disabilities, drowsiness, slowed metabolism, and
impaired growth-- and may ultimately cause a vicious cycle of continued weight
gain.
The best
way to fight any form of vitamin deficiency is with a balanced diet in addition
to a multivitamin, but it is difficult to coax any child, overweight or
otherwise, into consuming a well-balanced diet. Fortunately, multivitamins
tailor-made for growing children are widely available in health food stores and
pharmacies. The Source of Life Animal Parade line of multivitamins, made by
Nature's Plus, is an excellent chewable multivitamin to try, and it is free of
preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
How Cinnamon Might Prevent Type 2 Diabetes in
Overweight Children
Many
adults with Type 2 diabetes have found tremendous success in maintaining stable
blood-glucose levels using cinnamon supplements, and it may prove to both
prevent and treat the disease in children, as well. Fortunately, cinnamon
appears to be very safe as a supplement for both children and adults, with very
few negative effects reported. Cinnamon has been clinically proven to lower
blood glucose levels, lower "bad" cholesterol, and keep blood sugar
levels even, so children do not experience the up-and-down crashes that may
lead to binge-eating.
Children
are generally very reluctant to take pills, but most will take readily to the
addition of cinnamon to their foods and drinks. Parents can consider giving
their overweight children a hot mug of spiced cider every evening, or mixing
cinnamon into pancake batter or mashed sweet potatoes. Over time, children can
get a substantial dose of this helpful herb just through culinary exposure--
and it may help to improve their overall health.
Obese Children Benefit from Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Fish Oil
Omega-3
fatty acids like DHA and EPA are becoming very popular for both children and
adults, and with good reason: the heart and brain both benefit from these key
nutrients, and the majority of adults and children are deficient in them.
Overweight children are especially likely to be deficient in omega-3 fats, making
them more prone to depression, learning problems, heart disease, and-- you
guessed it-- worsened obesity. Fish oil may be the single supplement that obese
children need most, especially considering its ability to combat heart disease
and other long-term illnesses that result from excessive fat intake.
While
most children would not eagerly take unflavored fish oil directly, some
companies, such as Source Naturals and Solgar, offer children's fish oil
supplements that have been flavored and sweetened to make them more appealing.
These chewable, fruit-flavored supplements are pleasing to most children, and
do not result in unpleasant flavors or fishy reflux.
No comments:
Post a Comment