Nutrition | Child Health and Prevention

Reading the Nutrition Label on Packaged Foods

June 13, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When you grocery shop, do you take the time to read the nutrition label? If you answered no, don’t feel too bad; as many Americans don’t read or don’t understand the nutrition label. Reading and understanding the nutrition label on your food can help you stay healthy and avoid or reduce certain medical conditions. Here are the different aspects of a nutrition label that you need to know.

Serving size

The serving size refers to the quantity of servings in the package. For example, a 12 ounce box of cereal usually has a serving size of half a cup and can provide up to six bowls of cereal. An important factor to note is that each time you add a serving you double the other nutritional figures. So if the label shows sodium is 120mg, two servings would equal 240mg.

Calories

This section on the nutrition label typically shows total calories and total calories from fat. All calorie intake on packaged foods is based on a 2000 calorie diet, which is mandated by the Food and Drug Administration. Your calorie intake increases with each serving. So if total calories are 250 and calories from fat are 50, three servings would equal 750 total calories with 150 calories coming from fat.

Daily Values

Daily values on a nutrition label are listed in percentages. 10 percent of calcium for example, would be the amount available in one serving. Each extra serving will add another 10 percent. According to the FDA, you should lower your intake of nutrients like cholesterol and sodium an increase your intake of nutrients like dietary fiber and vitamins.

Filed Under: General, Nutrition Tagged With: Food and Drug Administration, Nutrition, Nutrition facts label

Obesity Can Cause Serious Health Hazards

March 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Obesity means the condition of the body where excess amounts of fat is accumulated and will lead to many dreadful diseases. This can increase the chances of getting various diseases like diabetes, heart and even cancer. In the current society, chances of becoming obese are very high, because in this busy life, majority of the people prefer eating junk foods and snacks. Everywhere you can see fast food joints. Eating more food especially junk type food and not performing any exercise together will make you obese and will welcome many dreadful illnesses towards you. Obesity can be controlled by reducing the body weight, through dieting and regular exercise.

Diabetes is a very common disease seen in individuals who are obese. Increase in weight will start developing cells which are resistant to insulin. People having diabetes, will also face other risks like heart attack, strokes and vision related problems. Regular exercise and intake of healthy food which contains fewer amounts of sugar and carbohydrate contents will reduce the danger of diabetes. High Blood pressure is another common illness seen in majority of the obese people. This is also a major factor for many cardiovascular problems.

Many studies have proved that danger of obesity is much greater than danger with other bad habits like drinking and smoking. This affects almost all the organs of the human body. Many psychological problems like depressions, low level of confidence, and problem while eating are seen in obese people In obese ladies problems like hormonal imbalances and many disorders related to gynecology can be seen.

In today’s society, most of the children are found to be obese, due to their bad food habits and not having proper body movements. Majority of the children sit at home watching TV, computer and will not go out for any outdoor games. These factors will make them obese and they will have to face many emotional problems. Some of the problems that obese children have to face teasing and harassments in schools, and will be lonely at the play area and this might lead to nervousness.

Filed Under: Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension, Obesity

Take Good Nutrition For A Healthy Life

March 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Food is considered to be the fuel for life and for attaining a healthy life, nutritious food is very essential. Nutrition plays a very significant role for maintaining a healthy life. Today in this busy life, people are prone to various diseases due to the less intake of nutritious food. Human body requires all the nutrients for the proper functioning of the body. If you consult the doctor, he will also suggest you to have food rich in nutrients. Due to the more intake of junk food, many people suffer from problems like obesity and overweight, which in turn develops many critical diseases. Every human body is in need of mainly the following nutrients for a healthy life – water, proteins, minerals, vitamins and fiber. Majority of the packed food are processed and refined and as a result, they lack many nutrients.

Balanced diet means a diet which includes all the essential nutrients. Make sure to plan a balanced diet for a healthy life. Human body mainly requires good amount of carbohydrates, good amount of fiber foods, and other nutrients like protein, fat and minerals. Try to include many fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, which is very nutritious. Try to consume them directly instead of cooking them; this is because uncooked food will contain more amounts of nutrients than cooked food. Some of the calcium rich foods are milk and other dairy products. Egg, meat, Soya bean are rich in proteins. Carbohydrates contents are more seen in food grains, rice and wheat.

Seniors, adults and children all require nutritious food for a healthy body. Make sure not to skip any meals in a day, especially breakfast should be taken mandatory and never try to skip it. All these can affect your health very badly. Try to be away from all the bad habits like drinking, smoking.

Filed Under: Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Health, Nutrient, Nutrition

Some Causes of Childhood Obesity

December 17, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

In the United States, the obesity rate amongst children is at an alarming number with one out of five children categorized as overweight. Although children have less weight related medical and health problems than adults do, they are still at risk of turning into overweight adults which can place them at risk of developing a host of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later on. They are also known to have greater ratios of low self-esteem and stress related issues.

The Causes of Child Obesity

There are a number of reasons that a child may become obese, just like there may be a host of reasons a person may have to seek help form a place like Rehab-International.org for their drug abuse problems. Some common causes of obesity amongst children include poor eating habits, a lack of physical activity, genetic factors, or a combination of any one of these. There have also been some rare cases in which a child was overweight as the result of a medical condition regarding a hormonal problem. Doctors can order a blood test to see whether a medical condition may be the cause of the child’s obesity.

There may be times that families have a history of weight problems, but even when this is true, not all children will become overweight. Children may be at an increased risk of becoming over weight when family members are overweight mostly due to the shared family behaviors. The activity level and diet of a child plays a vital role in how a child’s weight is determined. With things like video games and hours spent in front of the television, children are prone to be inactive. Some diseases that are associated with childhood obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, skin conditions such as acne, fungal infections, heat rash, bone problems, and early heart disease.

Filed Under: Child Care, Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Childhood obesity, Heart disease, Obesity, United States

The Parental Concern for Children’s Injuries and Illnesses

November 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

For parents, nothing matters more than the health and welfare of their children. It’s often a major conscious battle for parents between giving children the freedom to grow and experience things, and trying to protect them from everything that could hurt them. It’s no surprise, then, that when issues of health care come up, children are often the primary topic of conversation. Children are, after all, our future, as cliché as it may sound.

Many child health issues tend to be relatively mild. Several childhood diseases like measles and chicken pox are common among young children, and they are prone to colds and flu during the appropriate seasons. These illnesses spread quickly because children spend so much time at school close together. These are fairly easily dealt with, although some poorer families may have trouble getting treatment that isn’t over the counter. For most, though, even with families who have no family doctor, they can just look in Canada 411 and find a physician who can help them for the regular cost of a doctor’s visit.

The greatest concern is for life altering and life threatening disease and injury in children, which can often be prohibitively expensive to treat, even with insurance. Children with issues like scoliosis, multiple sclerosis, and various forms of cancer must deal with a great deal of adversity, and many don’t survive to adulthood. Finding treatment for these children can be difficult, and even the success stories often have a great amount of difficulty later due to the financial obligations of dealing with such illnesses. As difficult as it may be in North America and the developed world, it’s even more difficult in areas of the world that are less developed. One of the greatest hopes of this world would be for children, no matter where they are from, to be able to live and grow to their full potential.

Filed Under: Child Care, Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Canada, Chickenpox, Child

Healthy Choices: Private Dining

November 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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It’s a constant struggle, a careful management of calories and sugar – you devote your time to understanding the world and its many treats. Each seems more appealing than the last, soaked in grease and stuffed with candy. Your children are delighted. You, however, are horrified. Every ingredient yields damning effects and explaining those effects is almost impossible: your sons and daughters care nothing for the components of a meal, only the taste.

And so you create menus that will appease all – providing healthy alternatives to the easier snacks. You substitute. You supplement. You ignore the whines for soda and syrup (even as those whines become insistent as the weekend approaches and there is no school to distract). Your family will not suffer from poor choices and unhappy diets. They will instead be offered all of the vital nutrients, the necessary selections.

Those selections can be found beyond the dining room table, however. You will not have to trap your children at home, forcing them to ignore the outside temptations. You can instead maintain their weight and energy while eating out – even in a steakhouse.

No restaurant is without awareness. Consumers are changing their habits, learning to create far more appropriate meals. The purpose is to avoid the heavy fats and heart shattering cholesterol. And because of this private dining institutions are now redefining their menus and reassessing their appetizers. There is a sudden trend of health and deliberation. Ingredients must offer both flavor and good sense. Choices must be wise without sacrificing taste.

Such a balance is difficult to achieve but it has been proven possible; and those who wish to escape their kitchens will find dining out now a viable alternative. It can be done without ruining a diet or forcing your children to endure too large portions and even larger calorie counts.

It’s convenience without regret. It’s ease without worry.

Filed Under: Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Calorie, Child, Dining room, Health

Medical Tourism Options

October 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Most childcare can be defined by commonsense. It is better to feed kids vegetables than McDonald’s. Exercise is better than video games. Educational endeavors provide better long term influence than letting children sit in front of the television all day. Scientific studies have indicated these as not just common sense but fact.

It is important to keep kids in their running shoes. Active children tend to be more happy and productive. Unfortunately, even the best laid out plan to keep children healthy might not work. For even the most financially needy families there are options to provide children with cost efficient medical care.

Corporations have been outsourcing work to other markets for decades. Other markets can perform identical work for a fraction of the cost of the same labor in the United States. Perhaps the most expensive labor in the United States occurs in the health care industry, which means that traveling to emerging markets can provide Americans with the same medical care that they could enjoy domestically for a fraction of the price.

Medical tourism is a growing industry. Some patients use the medical procedure as the centerpiece of a trip to an exotic location. Procedures that can be planned months in advance can be taken to a location overseas that offers superior medical care for a fraction of the cost.

Some people are hesitant to travel to seek health care due to the lack of reciprocity in case that something goes wrong. The ability to sue a doctor for a botched procedure is part of the reason why coverage is so expensive in the United States.

Rather than worrying about the procedure, patients need to perform due diligence and find high quality clinics that guarantee their work. Taking care of children often requires thinking outside of a parent’s comfort zone. During an era of transitioning medical care, medical tourism is an option for more families.

Filed Under: Child Care, Excercise, Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Bumrungrad International Hospital, Health, Health care, Insurance, Medical tourism, Medicine, Tourism, United States

Keeping your child close to health and away from obesity

July 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Cases of childhood obesity are growing in the US with one in every five children being over weight. Being over weight at a young age not only impacts a child health and growth but also takes a toll on their self confidence and character development. Obesity hampers physical development and restricts a child on indulging in sports and activities. It is difficult to control your child’s weight once it has crossed the threshold of obesity which is why it is all the more important to manage your child’s weight in the early stages.

It is good news for your child if obesity does not run in the family. Genetics play a major role in weight management and non-genetic obesity is easier to rectify. Childhood obesity is generally caused by lifestyle habits. The kind of food your child consumes and his/her level of physical activity play a big part in your child’s health and weight. With fast foods being the rave amongst children, having a healthy diet is vital for managing weight. It is not the quantity but the quality of food being consumed that determines weight gain in children. Experts advice parents to ensure that the food their children consume is low on calories and high on nutrition. Avoid foods that are rich in fats, carbohydrates and sugars. This would include most fast foods, food that has been fried chips, fizzy drinks and sodas and so on. Although it is tough to keep a child completely off such foods since they love them so much, kids should be encouraged to have salads, vegetables and fruits so that the quantity of fattening food is reduced. This ensures a more balanced and nutritious diet that helps control weight.

Parents should also encourage their kids to take up more of sports and outdoor activities from an early age. TV and video games are popular among kids and though they provide entertainment, require minimum physical activity. A balance of diet and physical workout will promote good health in your child.

Filed Under: Child Care, Health, Nutrition, Parenting Tagged With: Nutrition, Obesity, Weight loss

Recognizing signs of sickness in a new born baby

April 4, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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It is easier to identify signs of illness on older children while compared to new born babies as older children have ways to tell you if something is ailing them. The only way in which new born babies communicate is by crying, which is something they do even when they are hungry, need a nappy change or are simply bored. This is why it is important for parents to be able to identify signs of sickness in a baby so that it can be diagnosed and treated well in time. So what are the signs a parent should look out for?

New born babies, especially small or premature ones, have a risk of developing jaundice. If on the very first day of life your baby appears yellowish, press the baby’s sole with your thumb for a few moments and then release. If the returning color is pink, there is nothing to worry about but if the color returns as yellow then you should consult a doctor immediately.

A new born baby is used to the warmth of the mother’s womb and loses a lot of body heat if not covered properly. Lowering of body heat may lead to infections especially in premature babies as their immune system is not that strong. Touch the babies sole with the back of your hand and then touch the abdomen. If the sole feels cooler, then your baby’s body heat is low. Immediately take measures to warm the baby and feed him/her more frequently. If the condition persists, consult your doctor.

Other signs of illness are, if a baby’s crying seems weak suddenly, has difficult or irregular breathing, does not respond well to nudging or it gets difficult to feed, then your baby may be ill. If a baby’s vomit is greenish or brownish and persistent, instead of the usual curdled milk after feeding, seek medical help immediately. New born babies lose a bit of weight initially but quickly gain it back in about 10 days of life. If your baby loses excess weight and is not regaining it, consult your doctor.

Filed Under: Child Care, Nutrition, Treatment Tagged With: Infant, Jaundice, Milk

Causes of a child being underweight

March 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Having a healthy weight throughout childhood is vital for the development of every child. Just as obesity can hamper growth, being constantly underweight can also prove detrimental to development. Parents can get a growth and development chart from their child’s pediatrician and use it as a guide to track the weight loss/gain in their child. Often parents get confused as to why their child is not gaining weight even though they are doing everything on their part to ensure a healthy growth. It is important to understand the causes of a child being underweight in order to implement useful and effective remedies for the condition. So what are the causes of a child being underweight?

To begin with, a child who was born small or premature usually has trouble maintaining a healthy growth rate throughout childhood. Their bodies are not as equipped as those of normal born children to grow and develop at an acceptable rate which is why children who were born premature require special attention. Being underweight could also be a hereditary trait that the child inherited in his/her genes. It could be that one of the parents or maybe the grandparents have always been of a thin built and this genetic aspect passed on to the child.

Even children have lifestyles and can suffer if their habits are not healthy. It may be that you child has low appetite and is not consuming enough food. Even if the child is having enough food, it may be lacking in nutritional value which is necessary for a healthy growth. Children also need to balance their physical activity level and the amount of rest they get. If you have a very active child but he/she does not sleep enough, it will lead to the child being underweight. Children who are suffering from mental stress and anxiety also tend to lose a lot of weight and can reduce a child’s appetite. Finally, the child may be suffering from physical disorders that can be treated medically. Any one or combination of the above causes may be the reason why your child is underweight.

Filed Under: Child Care, Excercise, Nutrition Tagged With: Health, Underweight, Weight loss