The variability of young children's energy intake

Article Abstract:

The growth and health of children depend critically upon a positive energy balance. In a study conducted over 60 years ago, it was found that in the absence of adult attempts to control an infants' food intake, it grew well and healthy, suggesting that some innate, automatic mechanism was responsible for regulating energy intake. At the same time, the children's mealtime patterns revealed that tastes changed unpredictably and meals were poorly planned. Daily food intake was measured on six days for 15 children ranging in age from two to five years. The energy consumed with individual meals varied, but on a daily basis, each child consumed a fairly constant amount. Usually, if at one meal the child consumed a large number of calories, at the next meal he would consume less energy. Observation of eating patterns alone leads parents to believe that young children cannot regulate their food intake, and thus the parents attempt to control eating behavior by coercion, which does not generally produce the desired effect. On the basis of the results obtained with this study, it may be unnecessary to try to control childrens' eating habits. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Food habits

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Children and food - order amid chaos

Article Abstract:

The eating patterns of children often seem without rhyme or reason. Appetite can vary greatly both in terms of quantities and types of food. Children dawdle over food they don't like (for the moment), or they spill or refuse nutritious foods. Parents often have a hard time accepting this behavior, especially if they are nutrition-conscious. The consequences of malnutrition loom large in the minds of parents who naturally want their children to be healthy. Growth demands energy, and when children are underfed, they do not grow as fast as those who are consuming more energy. The rate of growth is an excellent way of telling whether a child is obtaining proper nutrients and calories. In an article by Birch et al. in the January 24, 1991 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, it is demonstrated that despite widely varying eating habits at different meal times, calorie counts in children vary little from day to day. For example, overeating at one meal is compensated for by eating less at another. The results of the Birch study suggest that there is a good deal of order within what may appear to be nutritional chaos in children. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

editorial

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Fast-food fare: consumer guidelines

Article Abstract:

The increasing trend toward the consumption of fast foods has led health care professionals to assess the effects of this type of poor nutrition on the long-term health and nutritional status of Americans. An evaluation of fast food nutrition is based on how often these foods are eaten, what other foods are eaten with them, and the nutritional content of each food. Fast foods are generally high in fat (40-55 percent), high in sodium, low in fiber, low in calcium, and adequate in protein. The consumer needs to be educated about which foods to choose and how to supplement their diets. The fast food industry should provide caloric, mineral, fat and nutritional contents labeling for the foods served. In addition, margarine, low-fat milk and salad dressings, and high-grain bread should be offered in fast food restaurants.

Research, Planning, Convenience foods, Consumer education, column, Massachusetts Medical Society

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