Nutrition Labels

“I don’t know,” says 15-year-old Tim with
a laugh as he grabs a handful of junk chips.

What about a carbohydrate?

“It means that it’s not healthy for you,”
says Nikolas, 16.

And how about a calorie?

“It’s something to do with, like, how much water
it can move,” 17-year-old Raquel says. “I’m
not exactly sure.”

Teens don’t know a lot about food, and experts say
these kids’ lack of nutrition knowledge is contributing
to the obesity epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reports that about 15% of American teens are obese
– the highest number in history. And according to the
journal Nature, around the
world, there are as many people who are obese as there are
people suffering from hunger.

But today, at this high school, it’s “Wellness
Day,” and these teens are learning about the foods they
eat.

In calculus, students count calories to learn the differences
between types of breakfast they might eat. In science, they’re
talking about “eating attitudes.” In human physiology,
they’re talking about the human heart. And in the cafeteria,
all junk food like French fries and chips carries a “healthcare
tax” of one dollar along with a ban on selling soda
to students.

However, a lot of schools don’t teach nutrition, so
parents must make time to explain the facts. And experts
say they need to start early.

“By sixth grade, kids are ready to learn about nutrition
labels,” says Joanne Ikeda, a dietician and nutritionist
at the Center for Weight and Health at the University of California
at Berkeley. “And at that age, they’re more receptive
to their parents.”

Kids need to learn this information
because parents can’t always be there to make sure they
make the right food choices.

Explain to your child, “I can’t be a 24-hour
police person,” Ikeda says. “You know, you’re
responsible for what you put in your body.”

If parents are persistent, she says, eventually kids will
learn to eat right because it’s good for THEM, not just
because mom or dad said so.

“I think a lot of it has to do with empowering them
to feel like they’re responsible for taking care of
their bodies,” Ikeda says.

Eighteen-year-old Liz agrees: “I do ‘Wellness
Day’ every day.”

The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention reports that about 13% of children
and adolescents are now seriously overweight. One way to combat
this health epidemic is to ensure that your child maintains
a healthy and well-balanced diet.

If your child’s diet is lacking in the nutrition department,
the negative health consequences could be severe. The Center
for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkley,
says that malnutrition can restrict brain development, resulting
in impaired learning and cognitive function. Consider these
additional ways in which nutrition can affect your child’s
body:

• Inadequate diet, nutritional deficiencies and hunger have
  been shown to decrease attentiveness, motivation and other
  behaviors critical to school performance.
• Deficiencies in specific nutrients, such as iron, have
  an immediate effect on the ability to concentrate. In fact,
  mild forms of anemia found in an otherwise healthy population
  of children have been shown to negatively impact IQ.
• Diet contributes to four of the seven leading causes of
  death – heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes
  – and increases the risk of numerous other diseases
  and conditions, including hypertension, liver disease, osteoporosis,
  atherosclerosis (the buildup of fatty substances in the
  inner lining of an artery) and obesity.
• Scientific evidence suggests fruit and vegetable intake
  alone protect against cancer, heart attack, high blood pressure,
  osteoporosis, arthritis, stroke, diabetes, cataracts, asthma,
  bronchitis and obesity.
• Healthy eating not only reduces mortality but also improves
  quality of life by improving energy and sense of well-being.

As a parent, it is important that you select
nutritious and healthy foods for your child’s consumption.
In order to do so, it is necessary for you to be able to read
and understand the food labels designed by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration. When choosing foods for your family,
the American Heart Association suggests that you pay close
attention to the following information located on the food
label:

• Serving size: Remember that
  if you eat double the serving size listed, you need to double
  the calories, fat and nutrients. If you eat half the size
  shown, cut the calories and nutrients in half.
• Calories: This percentage
  is very helpful to know if you are cutting calories to lose
  weight.
• Total fat: Most people need
  to cut back on both calories and fat! Too much fat may contribute
  to heart disease and cancer. The label will give you the
  number of grams of fat per serving (so you can keep track
  of your daily intake) and the number of calories from fat.
  Your goal is an overall intake of no more than 30% of your
  total calories from fat.
• Saturated fat: This percentage
  is one part of the total fat in food. It’s a key nutrient
  for raising your blood cholesterol and your risk of heart
  disease and stroke. Eat less saturated fat!
• Cholesterol: Too much cholesterol
  in the diet may lead to too much of it in your blood. And
  too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease
  and stroke. It’s best to eat less than 300 mg each
  day.
• Sodium: Take in less than
  2,400 mg of sodium, also known as salt, each day. That’s
  equal to about 1 tsp. of salt.
• Total carbohydrate: When
  you cut down on fat, you can eat more carbohydrates. They’re
  found in foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruits
  and vegetables.
• Dietary fiber: Fruits, vegetables,
  whole grains, peas and beans are good sources and can help
  reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Protein: Where there’s
  animal protein, there’s also fat and cholesterol.
  Eat small portions.
• Vitamins and minerals: Eating
  a variety of foods will help you reach your daily goal of
  100% of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.
• Daily value: The daily values
  are guides for people who eat 2,000 calories each day. If
  you eat more or less than that, your daily value may be
  higher or lower. Choose foods with a low % daily value of
  fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Try to reach
  100% of the daily value of total carbohydrates, dietary
  fiber, vitamins and minerals.

American
Heart Association
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
Center
for Weight and Health
U.S. Food and Drug Administration