BlMancaster Farming, Saturday, May 27, 1995
Dietary Guidelines
Make Sense For K
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
If you’re a healthy adult, the
USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for
Americans were written with you
in mind. In seven points, the
Guidelines give a framework to
use for developing wise eating
habits that may reduce your risk of
chronic disease.
The most recently
revised in 1990, reduced moun
tains of nutrition research and lay
ers of nutrition controversy to a list
that most of us can apply fairly eas
ily to our everyday eating habits. It
sounds simple enough—eata var
iety of foods, maintain healthy
weight, choose a diet that’s low in
fat, saturated fat and cholesterol
and one with plenty of vegetables,
fruits and grain products, while
using sugars, salt, sodium and
alcoholic beverages in modera
tion. This advice was meant to be
applied over a period of time,
allowing for moderate use of a var
iety of foods.
The Dietary Guidelines have
been widely used as a reasonable
basis for nutrition decisions by the
federal government, corporations
and by consumers trying to make a
case for moderation in making
healthy food choices. For most
healthy adults the advice is
reasonable.
Children under the age of two
have been exempted from the Diet
ary Guidelines. In the critical
growth and development spurt
from birth to two years, healthy
children need a high fat diet (50%
of their energy from fat) to ensure
they get enough calories and
essential fatty acids for neurologi
cal development Breast milk or
formula is the first source of
balanced nutrition for a baby. As a
child grows, appropriate forms of
such nutrient-dense foods as whole
grains, meats, dairy products and
fruits and vegetables are added.
The government had advised
that the Dietary Guidelines are
appropriate from age two on.
Actually, a child’s second birthday
is just one milestone in growth and
development Rather than abruptly
shifting a child’s diet at age two,
the transition needs to be gradual
to adulthood. From age two until
they stop growing, kids still need
relatively more food energy and
essential nutrients in their diets
than they will as adults.
Canada has already revised its
Nutrition Recommendations to
give more flexible food choices
from growing children and adoles
cents. According to the Report of
the Joint Working Group ofithe
Canadian pediatric Society and
Health Canada, growing children
are advised to make a gradual
transition from a high-fat diet to
the adult recommendations of less
than 30% calories from fat and less
than 10% from saturated fat While
children can eat the same foods,
including those in lower fat, as the
result of the family, parents are
advised to allow children to select
nutrient-dense higher fat foods
more often than adults and not to
restrict certain foods because of fat
content.
The Canadians recognized that
current recommendations could
not be applied to children because
they are not little adults they
have unique caloric and nutrient
needs. The Canadian goal was to
improve guidelines of food
choices that meet children’s needs
for adequate energy and nutrients
to ensure long-term growth and
development, focusing on the total
diet instead of single nutrients.
As a result, the general applica
tion of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines
is now being questioned, especial
ly in regard to fat intake restric
tions. Instead of taking a restrictive
approach, many nutritionists are
emphasizing the need to ensure
that children get both adequate
energy and the right mix of nutri
ents for growth. In the U.S., the
American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that children not con
sume less than 30% calories from
fat and the American Dietetic
Association has advised that the
U.S. chart distinct guidelines for
children.
If low-fat foods are substituted
for mote energy dense foods, kids
need to add calories from other
energy sources—preferably com
plex carbohydrates. But whole
grain bread, rice and pasta, for
example are bulkier and less ener
gy dense than the higher-fat foods
they may be replacing. Kids may
eat less or fill up on “empty
calorie” snacks. Every bite of food
begins to count and a child’s diet
needs to be carefully monitored to
make sure there are enough
nutrients.
Ensuring that children meet
these needs can be challenging for
parents. Preschool age children
may appear to have erratic eating
habits, preferring one food to the
exclusion of all others or eating
what seems to be tiny amounts of
food. But frustrated patents should
Trevor Stelnbech, National Dairy Council (left), preeented
an award to Jan Stanton, director, Dairy Council, tor her
organization’s 75 yeara of outstanding achievement in
nutrition education. The preeentation wae made at the Buck
Hotel in Feaetervllle at a epecial celebration. Formed in
1920, Dairy Council wae created to provide free milk to
undemouriehed school children. Today, the organization
worka with adueatora and health profeeeionals In 25 eoun
ties throughout the tri-stete area, supplying nutrition infor
mation on such topics as: school breakfast, osteoporosis,
diet and weight control. Dairy Council is funded by area
dairy farmers.
H eLP Yo Oßse^
Should
ds Too
take heart research has shown
that in a 24-hour period, kids will
usually self-select a varied diet of
the nutrients they need. They may
not eat much at any one time, but
instead need to eat more frequently
to get the nutrients and energy they
need. The key is to provide a wide
variety of food choices.
,As children grow closer to
adulthood, their growth is slower,
but steady. In the years before pub
erty, many kids gain some fat and
become more sensitive about body
image. But restrictive eating and
dieting may delay normal growth
and the onset of puberty.
Adolescents, girls in particular,
are especially vulnerable to choos
ing inadequate diets. Girls from
age 10 to 12 and in their young
teens are consistently reported to
get too little calcium, iron and zinc
from the foods they eat. For exam
ple, a young teen girl needs at least
1200 mg calcium per day, the equi
valent of four 8-ounce cups of milk
or yogurt. But many are more
aware of limiting calories than get
ting enough calcium, let alone
making the effort to eat mote of
less dense, but acknowledge sour
ces of calcium like green leafy
vegetables.
Specific Dietary Guidelines for
children would distinguish their
special food needs from those
healthy adults. Children are not
little adults. Our national Dietary
Guidelines should be amended to
reflect.
SEE YOUR NEARE
&
DEALER
FOR DEPENDABLE
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717-243-2686
Ellabethtown. PA Olev. PA
Messick Farm C.J. Wonsii
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717-896-3414
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Dependable Charles S.
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215-273-3131 717-386-5945
215-273-3737
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S.G. Lewis &
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R.D. 2, Box 66
215-869-2214
Frederick. MD
Ceresville Ford New Hollam
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Outside MD, 800-331-9122
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Leslie G. Fogg, Smith Tract
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609-451-2727
609-935-5145'
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Loysville, PA
717-789-3117
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Schreffler
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Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
in. N.
Woodstown. NJ
Owen Supply
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308