Obesity--a growing problem

Michael Peterson, associate professor of health and exercise sciences at UD, discusses efforts in Delaware to encourage exercise in his presentation, “Delaware Youth: What Are They Doing, and What Are We Doing About It?”

2:47 p.m., Aug. 23, 2005--The increase of obesity in children is a national concern, and UD Cooperative Extension held a cutting-edge conference, “Shaping A Healthy Future for Our Children--What We Know and Don’t Know about Diet and Physical Activity in Preventing Obesity,” on Thursday, Aug. 18, to address some of the issues involved.

Targeted to professionals in child care, nutrition, family and consumer education, nursing, school food services, education and others, the conference presented researchers talking about their latest findings on nutrition, while those involved in efforts to encourage exercise and healthy eating discussed their programs and successes.

The conference covered a variety of topics from the influences on children’s eating and the effect of different foods to what can be done and what is being done to address the problem of obesity.

The conference began with a welcome from Robin Morgan, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, followed by eight sessions, and lunch-time speaker, Delaware Lt. Gov. John Carney, who discussed his challenge called “Make the Move to Better Health,” which encourages Delawareans--but especially children and adolescents--to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Susan Johnson, associate professor and director of the Children’s Eating Laboratory at the University of Colorado, spoke on her research with infants and preschoolers in eating behaviors. Children are exposed to flavors even before birth and what a mother eats adds flavor to her breast milk, Johnson said. Infants like sweet flavors, she said, showing a photo of a smiling baby who was given a drop of sugar versus a scowling infant who was given something sour and bitter.

Children have the capability to know how much to eat for energy intake, but there are many influences at play--family, community, public policy and genes that influence what and how much they eat, she said.

One of Johnson’s findings was that nearly one-fourth of toddlers do not eat vegetables and one-third do not eat fruit, which she said was shocking.

One of her research projects was introducing tofu to young children, who had not eaten it before. It takes about eight to 10 tries before a novel food is accepted, she said.

Johnson ended her talk with practical tips for parents, such as giving children an opportunity to try new foods and self-selecting, not using force and avoiding bribes and scolding. At the same time, she suggested encouraging children to use their senses, to learn about the concepts of hunger and fullness and to learn to self-regulate their eating.

In another session, entitled “Dairy Products,” Michael Zemel, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Tennessee, spoke on his findings about dietary calcium and dairy products on weight loss.

Stressing that calories do count, Zemel said that weight gain is a nuanced problem and that, while genetics do alter metabolism, genetics do not account for the rise of obesity.

In a study of African-Americans with cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes who were reducing their weight, his research indicated that the addition of calcium to the diet in the form of yogurt helped bring about weight loss.

Zemel said that research has shown that not only is calcium important in breaking down fat, but that calcium from dairy products is better than the calcium in pills and orange juice. When a person loses weight, they lose not only fat, they lose muscle. Calcium in a diet can reduce muscle loss by 50 percent, he said.

Michael Peterson, associate professor of health and exercise sciences at UD, spoke about efforts in Delaware to encourage exercise in his presentation, “Delaware Youth: What Are They Doing, and What Are We Doing About It?”

He pointed out that the average middle-school student spends two hours a day watching TV, plus time on the computer. They also spend time on homework and in the car or bus being transported to school, all of which adds up to a sedentary lifestyle, Peterson said.

In a survey, most teenagers said that they did not exercise enough to get out of breath or sweat. Most parents, on the other hand, thought their kids were “active.” However, 60 to 70 percent of parents want more physical education in the schools.

Peterson is working to get the message out about healthy living with a local media campaign, including an attention-getting radio commercial that announces, “You know our kids are fat.”

The campaign also includes a web site at [www.getupanddosomething.com], which includes information about physical activity, nutrition and things for parents and kids to do in Delaware.

Sue Snider, professor of animal and food sciences at UD and a food safety and a nutrition specialist, chaired the committee organizing the conference.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Duane Perry

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