Okay, we know our kids are eating junk food, but what we don’t know is that the chemicals in junk foods are contributing to making them fat. It wasn’t enough that calories, trans fat and High Fructose Corn Syrup contribute to childhood obesity. Now were told “obesogens are making kids fat!”

Dr. Oz devoted a program to “Obesogens: The Chemicals You’re Eating That Make You Fat” and Newsweek ran an article on September 11, “Born to be Big: Early exposure to chemical may be reprogramming kids to be fat.”

What in the world are obesogens?

One more reason to transform picky eaters
into healthy eaters…obesogens.

I wasn’t familiar with obesogens or endocrine disruptors, before looking it up on Wikipeia. I found “Obesogens are chemical compounds foreign to the body that are hypothesized to disrupt normal development or homeostasis of metabolism of lipids ultimately resulting in obesity. Obesogens may be functionally defined as chemicals that inappropriately alter lipid homeostasis and fat storage, change metabolic setpoints, disrupt energy balance or modify the regulation of appetite and satiety to promote fat accumulation and obesity.^”

What all that means is obesogens promote obesity by altering the way you feel hunger and by increasing your fat cells. Obesogens are found in additives in processed foods, in the lining of cans (BPA), even in conventionally grown meat and farmed fish. Our food supply has been altered by the pesticides used on produce and the chemicals and hormones given to cattle. Now it turns out that this has produced toxins called obesogens which target three organs: the liver, brain and fat cells.

Not surprising children are most at risk of obesogens. Children under seven, pregnant women and their unborn babies, and people who are already overweight are most at risk because the more fat in your body, the more obesogen your body can store. What’s alarming is pregnant women eating foods high in obesogens end up programming their unborn children to make more fat cells.

Three Foods High in Obesogens:
1. High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is the most common ingredient in processed foods, is an obesogen.
2. Conventionally raised animals and farm raised fish are foods which have obesogens stored in their fat. Atlantic Salmon is code for “farmed salmon.” Farmed fish contain more pesticides. Conventionally grown cattle have been fed Genetically Modified corn and hormones. To avoid this, purchase free-range, hormone-free and antibotic-free meats.
3. Water! Yikes, tap water. Pesticides are sprayed on crops and those pesticides go into the water table deep in the ground, which then makes its way into your tap water.  Dr. Oz encourages everyone to get a granular activated carbon water filter (either the pitcher type that you store in your fridge or the faucet type that filters water as it comes out of the tap).

Fast food is obviously high in calories. I’ve never been a calorie counter, especially for children. My guiding principle has been to eat whole foods, then counting calories isn’t necessary. Now, it’s more important than ever to eat organic produce. Personal choice about what you eat has to now to weigh toxic chemicals in the food causing weight gain. I had no idea that chemicals called obesogens compounded the problem of fast foods. Just in case you needed one more reason to eat whole organic foods you now have obesogens.

Avoid Obesogens By:
Not using plastic food containers for your leftovers.
Don’t purchase food in cans with BPA.
Use a water filter.
Ask your butcher to wrap your meat in paper, rather than plastic or Styrofoam.
Don’t use plasticware (cups, utensils, etc.)
Avoid drinking water from plastic bottles.
Don’t use air fresheners, open the window instead.
Never use non-stick pans.
Buy grass-fed beef.
Eat more organic produce.
Cook at home, you have no control of food purchased out.

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The Good News:

Research from the University of Minnesota’s Nutrition Coordinating Center has shown major chains significantly reducing their use of oils containing trans fat in French fries and other food during the past 10 years. Unfortunately, picky eaters love fast foods, especially French fries.

So what’s the big deal about trans fat? Trans fat is far worse than natural saturated fat ever could be. The production process of injecting liquid fats with hydrogen gas converts them into indigestible trans fatty acids. Trans fat can’t be metabolized in the human body.

In fact, trans fat has a half life of 51 days. That means three months after consuming trans fat, you’re body is still dealing with it.

Only let a kid tell you what he wants for dinner…if he’s paying.

Trans fat molecules are absorbed into your cells, compromising the cell’s metabolism. Trans fat lowers the HDL (good cholesterol) and increases the LDL (bad cholesterol), leading to heart disease. In pregnant women, trans fat, like alcohol, drugs, carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke, and pesticides, pass through the placenta to the baby, affecting the baby’s metabolism in direct proportion to the amount ingested by the mother. In addition, there’s a correlation between trans fat and Type 2 Diabetes.

To make matters worse, trans fat inhibits the absorption of vitamin K (vital for bone growth). Trans fat is a toxin interfering with all membrane function.

In a press release from the University of Minnesota, lead researcher Lisa Harnack said the center maintains a food and nutrient database that goes back to the 1970s. ”We’re able to go back in time and compare the present with the past,” she said. “And we did that in looking at fast-food restaurants,” Harnack said. “We found fast-food restaurants are making big improvements in the frying oils, with trans fat going down in most of the restaurants–as well as saturated fat, either going down or staying the same.”

I always say you vote with your dollar. When enough people stop or limit purchasing a product, food producers will change. They’re in business to make a profit and when their profit begins to suffer, they will take notice. That’s capitalism at work.

The Bad News: Americans still receive about 10 percent of their calories from fast-food restaurants. That’s unbelievable. Moms often tell me that fast food in moderation is okay. What’s moderation? Families eat fast foods on average three times a week. Is eating fast food once or twice a week moderate? Of course it isn’t. Eating fast food in moderation is cooking your own hamburgers and fries.

Typical French fries have about 40 percent trans fat. Making fries yourself, will cut down on the number of times you eat them. Peeling, cutting, and frying potatoes can take a while …because of all the work, you’ll not make fries often. That’s moderation, not several times a week at the drive-thru window.

More Bad News: The truth is that when ANY fat is heated for extended periods of time, it becomes a trans fat. (Correction: produce some trans fatty acids. See note below.) So there it is, any fried food eaten out is cooked in the same re-used, re-heated oil. They may start out with a more “healthy” fat, but in the end contains trans fat. The only way to avoid trans fat is to avoid eating fried food out altogether.

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Children with ASD are usually picky eaters, preferring the very foods that make their problems worse. Many parents consider their kids with ASD as “slow feeders” and “difficult to feed” as infants. In the new study, experts found by their first birthday, kids with ASD diets were considerably less varied, eating fewer vegetables and fruits, but they also consumed less food overall.

Not all picky eaters have ASD, but most children with ASD are picky eaters, because of their over-responsiveness to tactile sensations. They many times will eat a limited number of foods, and may completely avoid certain textures and food groups. It’s no wonder they’re picky eaters as acceptance of different textures is vital for a healthy eater.

Amy thinks the new study about picky eating
and ASD is interesting.

Besides looking at persistence picky eating as an early sign of ADS, experts reported these kids were not malnourished.  Experts need to look beyond a child being “malnourished.” Kids with ADS improve when their immune systems are supported and improved.

Jaquelyn McCandless, M.D., author of  Children with Staving Brains, says that ASD is a complex biomedical illness resulting in “significant brain malnutrition.” There’s emerging evidence that, once nutritional concerns have been addressed, children with ASD improve at some level. While the nutritional treatment will vary, there seems to be agreement that all children with ASD improve with diets free from refined sugar, white flour, and food additives. In addition, they may benefit from probiotics, cod liver oil and vitamin D.

Because kids with ASD are picky eaters, getting over the picky eating hurdle is the first step to improving their health. Parents of children with ASD have seen remarkable improvement using the Baby Bite Steps, especially when combined with improving “gut dysfunction.” The Baby Bite Steps uses positive reinforcement, while engaging a picky eater in directed-play. This conditions a positive response to various food textures and flavors. Adjust your timetable for kids with ASD. Consistency and praising your child for small steps are even more vital for a child with ASD.

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We love studies, don’t we? Every day there is a new study about kids and food. The latest study is from Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. They found a causal relationship between licensed characters on food packaging and children’s taste and snack preferences.

My goodness, I don’t think we really needed a study for that, do you?

If cartoon characters didn’t sell products, then advertisers wouldn’t use them. Parents won’t be surprised to learn that children significantly prefer the taste of junk foods branded with licensed cartoon characters on the packaging, compared with the same foods without characters.

Researchers found kids, like Madison, prefer foods with cartoon characters on the packaging.

In the study, children between the ages of 4- and 6-years old tasted three pairs of identical foods (graham crackers, gummy fruit snacks and carrots) presented in packages either with or without a popular cartoon character. Children tasted both food items in each pair and indicated whether the two tasted the same, or if one tasted better. Children then selected which of the foods they would prefer to eat for a snack.

Again the results were predictable, indicating that children were considerably more likely to prefer the taste of the low-nutrient, high-energy (translate that to sugary) foods such as gummy fruit snacks when a licensed cartoon character appeared on the package.

The difference in preference was not significant for carrots. Not much of a surprise here either. The character-branded items influenced kids when it comes to junk foods, but not so much for whole foods. Interesting, character-branded items don’t help influence kids with whole foods. Parents need to teach their children how to enjoy whole foods. That’s what Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater is all about.

The researchers conclude their the findings suggest a need for regulation to curtail the use of licensed characters in the marketing of low-nutrient, high-energy foods, say the researchers. Another regulation. Another law, we don’t need.

How about letting parents raise their own kids. What if parents refuse to purchase food items with cartoon characters? How about it if parents curtailed the purchase of junk foods as well? Why not limit the amount of TV kids watch? How about recording kids programming and speed through the commercials! What if parents (gasp) said “no.”

We vote with our dollars and you can bet if sales go down, that would stop the advertisers from using licensed characters on their products, for sure!

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We all know the statistics and they’re grim. Today, one in three children in the U.S.  is overweight or obese. One in three kids will get diabetes as a result of diet. This is the first generation not expected to live as long as their parents.

The campaign to retire Ronald McDonald is headed by Corporate Accountability International (CAI). They assert,  “No corporation has done more to hook kids on unhealthy food, influencing brand loyalties and eating habits that can last a lifetime. Ninety-six percent of all U.S. school kids recognize Ronald McDonald.”

CAI says, “Ronald McDonald is not only the face of the epidemic, but it’s the engine behind it. No corporation has done more to hook kids on unhealthy food, influencing brand loyalties and eating habits that can last a lifetime.”

Looks like Ronald McDonald is running from CAI.

McDonald’s defends their clown mascot, “…a beloved brand ambassador …who helps deliver messages to families on many important subjects such as safety, literacy, and the importance of physical activity and making balanced food choices.”.

I asked Myriah Hampton from CAI a few questions about the endeavor to retire Ronald McDonald:

1. What will the retirement of Ronald McDonald accomplish?
“We want to reverse an epidemic that is taking the lives of millions each year; an epidemic that begins with the cradle to grave marketing of unhealthy food. For nearly 50 years Ronald has hooked kids on unhealthy food, spurring an epidemic of diet-related disease. It is time McDonald’s stopped targeting our kids directly with fast food marketing. Ronald deserves a break…and so do we!”

2. Nanny corporations (especially through television) are influencing our children. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for parents to set limits and take back responsibility for what their kids watch and eat?
“McDonald’s is a global corporation spending billions to figure out ways into people’s homes, their community’s schools, and their children’s psyche. We’re saying get out of parent’s business – stop creating obstacles to feeding kids healthfully. We are advocating that our right to know what’s in our food be honored. We are asking Big Fast Food to stop undermining the best intentions of parents by manipulatively marketing unhealthy food to our children. We believe it’s time the industry stop passing the blame and the buck to its patrons for its abuses.”

3. What would be your next goal to encourage children to eat healthy foods?
“People ask us why not just advocate for programs that provide alternatives to fast food instead of demonizing McDonalds. We believe the success of alternatives depends very directly on removing a major obstacle – the use of Ronald McDonald to market junk food to kids. The ad budgets behind Ronald and related predatory marketing initiatives crowds out alternatives and makes it difficult for children to embrace alternatives.”

Ban ALL Junk Food Ads Targeting Kids
I believe the benefit from the campaign to retire Ronald McDonald is that it’s shinning a light on the issue of predatory marketing to children. Fast food and junk foods are directly impacting our children’s health. To make matters worse, picky eaters universally love junk foods.

I would like to see regulations with real teeth concerning ALL advertising directed at children. Corporations should not be allowed to peddle junk foods to kids. I’m for eliminating cartoon advertising of junk foods, like Ronald McDonald, Trix the Rabbit, Count Chocula, Tony the Tiger and other characters used to promote unhealthy foods.

In Britain, The Independent Television Commission’s code on advertising says, “No method of advertising may be employed which takes advantage of the natural credulity and sense of loyalty of children.” In other parts of Europe, TV advertising and sponsorship of programs aimed at children below the age of 12 are prohibited. Now that would make a difference!

Just because Ronald McDonald is second only to Santa Claus in recognition, doesn’t necessarily translate to the purchase of a Happy Meal. Children may know who Santa is, and yet, not all families include Santa in their traditions. It does not follow that just because 96 percent of school-aged kids recognize Ronald McDonald that parents will frequent McDonalds.

My heart’s desire is to remove the junk from our kids’ diets and to see them grow up healthy. For me, the solution to junk and fast food is parental control. We can blame big corporations, but ultimately it’s parents who purchase fast food. Toddlers are not pulling up to the drive thru window, ordering and paying for a Happy Meal!

If you want to see Ronald McDonald (and other cartoon junk food mascots) retired…vote with your dollar, not your name on a petition. Ultimately, the only thing counted is money.

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Ava isn’t fooled by the Smart Spot, she knows a healthy food when she see’s one.

The Smart Spot is “designed to help shoppers easily identify smarter food and beverage choices.” Advertisers say, “When you choose a Smart Spot product, you’re making a sound decision. That’s because food and beverage products displaying the Smart Spot symbol meet nutrition criteria based on authoritative statements from the Food and Drug Administration and the National Academy of Sciences.”

What’s wrong with the food manufacturers making shopping easier for the health conscious? It would be wonderful if the green checkmark actually meant something. The checkmark is supposed to indicate a product is “better for you.” What exactly do they mean?

Froot Loops meets standards set by the Smart Choices Program for fiber and vitamins A and C. Froot Loops doesn’t exceed the limits set for fat, sodium, and sugar. The limit set for sugar is 12 grams or 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving. So Froot Loops gets a checkmark! What? Froot Loops weight is 41 percent sugar. Never mind that the vitamins A and C are synthetic and the cereal is loaded with artificial flavors and colors.

As far as I’m concerned, the green checkmark is totally useless. Perhaps it’ll make some poor parent feel better when their children begin the day with sugar and chemicals, but it won’t help the kids at all. Ten companies have signed up so far for the Smart Choices Program, including ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kelloggs, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo and Tyson Foods.

The Smart Spot is just another front of the package tease, which is designed to mislead. I think the Smart Choice is NOT to purchase any product with the green spot checkmark.

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Sounds like she’s got a great kid. And I say “kid”, because our children grow up way too fast!!! Kids growing up before their time is a cultural phenomenon, resulting  from children’s TV programming and advertising. This recent phenomenon is called age compression.

Sammy says sports are a good way for kids to make friends.

Marketers call age compression, “Kids Getting Older Younger” or KGOY. Kids today are treated as teens were a dozen years ago. KGOY is a parental concern and a marketer’s golden opportunity.

Two-thirds of parents indicate the television is on most mornings, and on 81 percent of the time in the evening. Many don’t understand the power of television and admit they use it as a babysitter. According to Barna Research, kids ages two to seven watch an average of twenty-five hours of TV a week! Advertisers target children, who see about 40,000 television ads per year. Of course the majority of commercials aimed at children are for candy, breakfast cereal, soda pop, junk and fast foods.

In fact, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found at least 80 percent of the ads shown on Nickelodeon are for junk foods! Dr. Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at CSPI, says, “Although children’s poor diets and rising childhood obesity rates are affected by many factors, one of the most important is food marketing. Studies show that food marketing attracts children’s attention, influences their food choices, and prompts them to request that their parents purchase products.”

Marketers think of children as cash cows and bombard them with advertising, using their favorite cartoon characters. They employ what the industry calls the “nag factor,” and “pester power” so kids will pester their parents to purchase worthless food. Product placement in movies and video games also increase children’s pester power.

Frequently, the manipulation of kids comes from a program or movie, not the commercials. The Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University warned parents the new SpongeBob movie is “essentially a ninety-minute commercial for junk food.”

What’s worse is that our babies and toddlers are now targeted. There is a zero to three market! Two-thirds of moms interviewed said their children asked for specific brands before the age of three. One-third said their kids were aware of brands by age two or even younger.

In addition to marketing to our babies, constant distractions are known to impair children’s cognitive development. Susan Thomas reports in her book, “Buy, Buy BABY,” a study done at the University of Massachusetts “…the seemingly benign practice of keeping the television running in the background at home can be disastrous for toddler’s development because it interferes with their ability to concentrate on their own activities. The study reported that one-year-olds’ focused play is reduced by half when the television is on, even if the children are not specifically tuning in to the programming…focused play is essential for little brains to grow.”

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This vital topic concerning our children’s health is studied by the Kaiser Foundation. The study found that 34 percent of ads targeting children are for candy and snacks, 28 percent are for sugarcoated cereals, and 10 percent are for fast foods. Only 4 percent are for dairy products and a measly 1 percent for healthful fruit juices. With a third of our children overweight or obese and the greater probability of these children facing diabetics and heart disease as adults, this data is useful.

Phoebe & Mille sit in my recliner to watch TV.
I fast-forward through the commercials and
they love the healthy food I make for them!
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What does this study have to do with picky eaters? Everything!

> Surprisingly, skinny picky eaters and overweight children share the same diet. They love junk foods: the very foods highlighted in TV commercials. Almost without exception, skinny picky eaters grow up to be overweight, because their diets don’t change, but their metabolism does.

> While TV ads factor in the decline in our children’s health, it’s only one factor. Certainly, TV ads influence our children’s food preferences, but what you purchase and stock in the kitchen, the frequency of eating out, what you prepare for snacks and meals, and how much exercise your children get are just as important.

> Baby Bites explains how children’s poor eating habits can be transformed through multi-sensory learning, positive discipline, and whole foods. The Baby Bite Steps incorporate multi-sensory learning techniques into your child’s mealtime experience. In only one week, the most resistant picky eater will be eating new foods!

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As good-for-you as spinach is, often kids (especially picky eaters) refuse to eat it. But, Spinach is one of Try Rannosaurus’ favorite foods! Try is one of the two characters I created for my book, Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater. The two buddies engage young picky eaters in multi-sensory learning. Try is a green T-Rex, and green food is his favorite. Of course, that includes spinach. He often announces, “Green food is yummy!” Try isn’t always the smartest animal in the forest. Betty Baby Bites, his best friend and encourager, often comes to his rescue. She’s a lover of whole foods, as well.

(You and your child can read about the fun food adventures of the two best buddies in The Forest Feast.)

I found some interesting facts about spinach. Are you ready? Spinach is a good source of iron and essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C, and minerals, and fiber! I was surprised to learn that spinach also contains 3 grams of protein per serving. So Try is pretty smart after all.

Spinach grows in sandy soil, so wash it thoroughly to get rid of the grainy, sandy particles. Make sure to tear off the stems. Separate the leaves, and place them in a large bowl of water. Gently swish the leaves and let the sand drift to the bottom of the bowl. Remove leaves from the water, and repeat the process with fresh water until the leaves are clean. If you’re eating spinach raw in a salad, dry it completely by using a salad spinner or by blotting it with paper towels.

Shelby is thinking over the prospect
that green food might be yummy, after all!

Here’s another helpful tip for kids who resist eating spinach, use it as an ingredient in a casserole (especially with tomatoes) or in a soup. When cooked with other foods, spinach takes on the other flavors.

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The food isn’t placed on individual plates until after everyone is seated and you’ve said grace. Which is the signal that it’s now time to begin eating the meal. If you’re not already thanking God for your blessings before you eat, it’s a good habit to begin. Saying grace will focus everyone’s attention on thankfulness. We found that the gesture of holding hands during grace helped to still our fidgety pre-schoolers during the few moments of prayer.

Attitude is everything. You know when your child is being childish and when your child is testing you. It’s natural that toddlers are messy when they eat. Accidentally spilling milk shouldn’t come with a consequence. But, it’s obvious when your toddler is defiantly throwing food in order to avoid eating it.

That’s when positive-discipline comes into play. Time out is an effective positive-discipline method to enforce mealtime rules. When your little one’s naughty behavior disrupts dinner, remove her from the table. Gently deposit her on a child-size chair facing a wall. The place you decide on for your child’s time out should be devoid of activity.

An appropriate time out is one minute for every year of age. Although, time spent crying doesn’t apply to the time-out minutes. Of course older, grade school children may be excused from dinner altogether, when naughty behavior becomes an issue. That includes enjoying any anticipated dessert.

Eating with your mouth closed is a learned behavior. If your child chews with his mouth open, kindly remind him to close his mouth when chewing. If your child speaks with food in her mouth, ask that she, “Please finish swallowing before talking.” Not only is it impolite to talk with a mouth full of food, it could be a choking hazard.

“That’s yucky! It’s disgusting. Or I don’t like that!” are comments that should never be tolerated. Not only is it impolite for children to make rude remarks about the food prepared, it cements the idea that some food is yucky. Look for positive attributes for your child’s less favorite items. What color is it? Who especially likes to eat this food? What is the texture like?

Burping at the table is distracting and unappetizing. Sometimes a child can’t control a burp. Instruct your child to close his mouth before he burps and to say, “excuse me”, afterward. Never encourage inappropriate behavior by laughing. Purposely belching isn’t to be tolerated and your child should be removed from the table if he does.

Interrupting others is also impolite. Teach your children to say, “excuse me” when they want your attention. If they continually interrupt you while you’re talking, remind her to be patient, “Please wait one minute, then I’ll listen.” When children take part in the family discussion at the table, the temptation to interrupt will be less. An interactive dinner conversation booster is for family members, including children, to tell about something memorable that happened during their day.

Kids often grab things from across the table. All that is needed is a reminder that you’d be happy to pass the item, if only they’d ask. Playing with food is often considered impolite. But, it depends on the age of your child and if the “play” is constructive. If an older child is being obnoxious and distracting, he’s obviously testing your patients, a toddler needs to experience all the attributes of a food, before appreciating it’s taste.

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