BBC News - Fat 'crucial' in children's diet
While parents may be increasingly worrying about childhood obesity, they must ensure their offspring eat enough fat, research from the US urges.
Web URL: Read the BBC News article here
FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:
This study involved only ten adults and ten children, but the methodology used was sufficient to show that children burn off dietary fats faster than adults.
The researchers concluded that children's diets should provide at least one third of calories from fat in order to meet their energy and nutrient needs. Specifically, they emphasised that 'low-fat' foods and diets are not suitable for children's healthy growth and development.
The single most important issue, however (ignored by much of the tabloid media coverage of this story) is the *type* or *quality* of that fat.
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The TYPE of fat - not just the quantity - is what matters
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'Dietary fat' is NOT a single substance. There are numerous different types of dietary fats, each with different effects on health and biology. Crucially, 60% of the brain is fat - which needs to be of the right kinds for healthy brain development and functioning. And those fats need to come from
As emphasised by the nutritional commentators here, typical modern diets contain too much saturated fat.
Most of this comes from highly processed foods that are high not only in fat, but also in sugar and/or salt as well as artificial additives, such as factory-made cakes, biscuits, pastries, crisps and other fried foods and snacks, ice-creams and desserts.
(Although 'fatty meats' are always mentioned -unprocessed meat is an excellent source of key nutrients, and in moderation, has always formed part of almost all traditional human diets)
Much worse than saturated fats are the artificial 'trans fats' found in hydrogenated vegetable oils - used in many margarines and most commercially baked or processed foods. These are literally toxic
The healthiest diets provide plenty of ‘unsaturated fats’ (monounsaturates and polyunsaturates) – which are liquid oils at room temperature. The best dietary sources are fish and seafood, nuts, seeds and wholegrains, fresh or minimally processed meat and dairy products, and vegetables.
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Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fats - and the Need for Balance
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Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturates are literally essential nutrients - because as with vitamins and minerals, we need them, but can’t make them for ourselves.
These essential fats are needed for a healthy brain, heart and other vital organs; and substances we make from them influence our blood flow, immune function, gene expression and all cell signalling.
- Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats MUST be provided by the diet - but the balance between them is crucial.
Modern western-type diets provide far more omega-6 than omega-3 - and substantial evidence shows that this omega-3/6 imbalance increases risks for mental as well as physical ill-health – including not only depression and age-related cognitive decline, but also child behaviour and learning disorders such as ADHD and autism and related conditions.
The most important kinds of omega-3 and omega-6 fats - vital for healthy brain development and function, as well as cardiovascular, immune and general health - are the long-chain forms, which are only found in animal-derived foods
For omega-3, the key long-chain forms are EPA and DHA – which only fish and seafood provide in appreciable quantities. Long-chain omega-6 are found ‘ready-made’ in meat, eggs and dairy fats, which are much less likely to be lacking from children’s diets.
Research shows that the diets of children in the UK (and most other developed countries) are seriously lacking in these long-chain omega-3 - as most children do not meet the recommended intakes of fish and seafood (two portions a week, one of which should be oily fish - such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon or herring)
So in summary – yes, children need plenty of fats in their diets. But there really are 'good fats' and 'bad fats', and parents need to know the difference.
And as the experts cited in this article point out, anyone concerned about preventing obesity and related disorders in their children would do far better if they
- actively avoid highly processed foods (rich in sugar, salt and 'bad fats', as well as artificial additives, all of which help to prolong shelf-life) – and
- do not let themselves be fooled into choosing foods that sport 'low-fat' labels – because most of these are the highly processed ones.
For more details of this research, see:
See also:
15 August 2007 - BBC News
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Concerns about their child becoming overweight means some parents put them on low-fat diets, but the Nutrition Journal study said this was misguided.
Researchers found children burned substantially more fat than adults relative to their calorie intake. Youngsters needed that fat to grow and thrive, they argued.
Over a third of a child's energy intake should be made up of fat, the researchers at Pennsylvania State University said, a recommendation in line with UK requirements.
"Despite this, many parents and children restrict fat for health reasons," they said. "Sufficient fat must be included in the diet for children to support normal growth and development."
'Absolutely right'
All of the participants - 10 children and 10 adults - were put on the same diet, adjusted to estimated calorie requirements of each one.
During testing, none of the group led an active lifestyle. They spent their time watching films, reading, and taking occasional slow walks.
While the children did not use up more fat than adults in total, they burned up substantially more relative to the amount of energy they used, despite all participants' sedentary lifestyle.
UK nutritionists stressed that fat, as much as possible, should come from "healthy" sources such as oily fish, while chips and crisps should be cooked in olive or sunflower oil.
"Too much saturated fat in the diet, e.g. from cakes, biscuits, pastries and fatty meats, should be avoided," said Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation.
The National Obesity Forum welcomed the study
"I think this research is absolutely right," said board member Tam Fry. "Young children need more fat and energy for the whole purpose of growing and living.
"To give them low-fat and sugar-free products is a bad idea."
Tracy Kelly, of the charity Diabetes UK said: "A healthy, balanced diet should include fat.
"However, a diet high in fat, particularly saturated and trans fats, should be avoided.
"The spiralling rates of type 2 diabetes in children, a condition which traditionally affected people in middle age, are strongly linked to poor diets high in fat, sugar and salt."
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