The Blame Game

This interesting blog post got me thinking about the current state of the health and fitness industry and the sad fact of the world we live in. Do you know that they had to change the name of Adult Onset Diabetes to Type 2 Diabetes because kids were getting it?! There are also reports that suggest that the human race is in a state of de-volution, meaning we're actually digressing in the evolutionary stakes. And by all accounts, children born today are part of the first generation that won't live as long as their parents before them.
This article suggests that parents are to blame. And I mostly agree with it. Parents are children's first teachers. From birth (and even from conception) they decide what children are fed, they control the purse strings and the shopping trolley. If their children are obese, it is most likely because they let them drink Coke instead of water, let them skip dinner and just eat dessert, and feed them things like fruit loops for breakfast. And please don't tell me that parents have no control over their children's behaviour and reactions at meal times! Seriously, everyone has heard it time and time again - if a child refuses to eat their healthy dinner, they are not going to starve! They will eventually eat when they get hungry. It is not an excuse to just feed them a packet of chips and chocolate yoghurt! This is what creates the vicious cycle!
There are of course, other factors that can influence the way parents feed their children, and marketing is a huge contributor. Take "Fruit" loops for example. Some parents see this and think that it is healthy for their children because it has the word fruit in it. Now it is obviously a ridiculous notion to forgive parents for thinking this, but it is also shame on the cereal companies who exploit them! Another favourite of mine is "Vitamin" water. Many parents would, I'm sure, assume that this is healthier for their children than pure water, because it contains added vitamins. Unfortunately, the added sugar content means that vitamin water is actually no better for children than soft drink!
Education is another key factor. If parents have no idea what is healthy food and how to prepare it, then their children are going to grow up the same way. Jamie Oliver demonstrated just how poor American children's knowledge of fruit and vegetables is in his recent TV series. Perhaps there needs to be more of a focus on this in the education syllabus.
This is what has led me to consider going back to study this year. I am really passionate about making a difference and feel that working with children is the way to do it. So, I'm going to sign up to do my degree in nutritional medicine, with an aim of working with children and their parents in getting their eating habits on track!

What's the World Wide Web saying this week?

Could this recent article suggesting that cancer is purely a man made disease finally get the medical professional to take notice. We should be aiming for prevention, rather than cure, and a huge part of that has to come down to our diet.

I've always found that I sleep better after a workout! Now there's some evidence that a good night's sleep can be the result of physical activity during the day.

Rice has always been one of my go-to carb fillers at dinner time (although since going primal, I've only eaten it once, with effects so bad that I haven't gone near it again!) Mark examines whether rice is unhealthy or not...

Yet another reason to supplement with Vitamin D (that's if you don't get enough sun daily!) - a possible link with autism?

This interesting article highlights a study which suggests that sleeping in a lit room might lead to weight gain.

This Aussie study claims that waist circumference, not BMI, is the best predictor of future cardiovascular disease. So, pay attention to your waist, not your BMI!

What's the World Wide Web saying this week?

Check out the latest fitness craze! Hula Hooping is certainly something I could get into, though I do suck at the WiiFit version!

Consumer group Choice is warning on the dangers of sunscreen use... Seems there are some nasty additives in many of our popular sunscreens. Yep, slip, slop, slap is not always best!

Tom Naughton at Fat Head presents his tongue-in-cheek modest proposal for dealing with our growing population!

Mmmm, primal nutella! Is there anything better?!?

Melissa McEwen @ Hunt. Gather. Love examines the whether there is any merit in the statement "Healthy at any size?"

As if you needed any more motivation to do that lunchtime workout, there is now evidence that staying active on workdays is good for you!

Soy in formula... Need I say more???

What's the World Wide Web saying this week?

We already know it, but now the mainstream media is catching on - reading food labels is better for weight loss than exercise! After all, 80% of body composition, and therefore weight loss, is your diet!

The blog of Dr Michael Eades is one of the best on the net, and his article about the the pitiful state of medical ignorance is one of best articles I've read! Ask yourself, when was the last time you went to the doctor because you were sick and he/she asked about your diet rather than just prescribing you pills?!? It's time we ask more of the medial profession and question why doctors don't know anything except how to prescribe you a pill for your symptoms!

If you're like me, Chicken Cordon Bleu is a favourite, but how to do it without grains?!? This amazing recipe at Joyful Abode uses ground pork rinds for the coating - OMG! Pork + chicken + swiss cheese!!!

I was excited to read this article about saturated fat in Mens Health! For such a mainstream magazine, it's great that we are slowly getting more information about the benefits of eating fat and the dangers of eating sugar!

Could weight loss really be more of an issue of mind over matter?

This health in a nutshell article highlights the benefits of eating nuts... I don't really need an article to tell me that eating nuts is good for me, but it's nice to have some scientific studies backing me up!

As you know, I'm really interested in children's behaviour in relation to the food that they eat. Emily Deans, MD, at Evolutionary Psychiatry wonders if we could begin to see ADHD like a food allergy in certain children?!?! This is an exciting step in the approach we take towards treating children with ADHD symptoms - and hopefully minimising the need for those children to take drugs to control their behaviour.

What's the World Wide Web saying this week?

Dr Jonny Bowden shares an article explaining another reason why Omega 3s are crucial for good health. So take your fish oil daily!

Over at Zen Habits, Chris Guillebeau urges you to make your own choices in life. Remember what it was like as a kid?!?!?

A quality gluten free beer?!?! Yes, please! Robb Wolf has done the ground work for all you beer lovers (me included!)

Chris Masterjohn at the Daily Lipid writes an amazing critique of the latest poorly executed study linking a high meat diet to heart disease.

As if there was any further need to convey the dangers of drinking diet soft drink, Dr Mercola examines the side effects of aspartame.

Everyone needs to eat more superfoods! We all know the usual superfoods, but give these ones a try :-)

I've always been wary of the plethora of vaccines we are giving to young children (even babies!) Imagine if protecting against influenza was as simple as providing them with enough Vitamin D...