By Dr. Joey Shulman D.C., RNCP

Health is not an option—it is every child’s birthright. With an estimated 17.6 million overweight children under the age of five, the time for change is now! The statistics on the growing trend of obesity are alarming. Research shows that 70 to 80% of obese children will become obese adults. Diseases associated with obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and cancer, are numerous. Type 2 diabetes, once called adult-onset diabetes, is also on the rise and linked to obesity. Most adolescents diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are obese.

Parents of obese and overweight children often throw up their hands in nutritional confusion, not knowing what to feed their child or how to help. A recent study found that the popular lowfat, calorie-restricted approach is an exercise in futility. A study published in the August edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that a reduced glycemic load diet had a greater effect on weight loss and insulin control than the standard reduced-fat diet.

The participants in the study were obese adolescents. Subjects in the reduced glycemic load diet were instructed to eat 45 to 50% of their total daily calories from carbohydrates, 30 to 35% from fat and the remainder from protein sources. Calories were not restricted and the subjects were told to eat their meals until full and to consume food when hungry.

The second group of subjects was prescribed a reduced-fat diet, which is the current recommendation for weight loss and diabetes prevention. The emphasis in the reduced-fat diet was to decrease consumption of fat and increase the intake of grains, vegetables and fruits.

Calories were restricted on this diet—approximately 250 to 500 fewer calories depending on body weight. The subjects on the reduced-fat diet were instructed to consume 55 to 60% of their total daily calories from carbohydrates, 25 to 30% from fat and the remainder from protein.

The results of this preliminary study found that subjects in the reduced glycemic load diet group significantly reduced their BMI (body mass index) and fat mass compared to those on the reduced-fat diet. In addition, those on the glycemic load diet tended to show more insulin control.

In a nutshell

• Foods that are ranked lower on the glycemic index and glycemic load, such as fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and dairy products, appear to promote weight loss and better insulin control.
• Caloric restriction does not appear to work in the adolescent population. In fact, the lack of caloric restriction was found to be a more positive approach for teenagers as it feels less like a “diet”.
• Grainy foods (i.e. breads, pastas) promote weight gain by promoting excess secretion of insulin. In short, excess insulin=excess fat.
• The right type of fat, such as that found in nuts, seeds, olive oil and cold-water fish, is necessary for weight loss.

References