#2023育儿季 #
Previously, the news reported that a 14-year-old boy in Chongqing had severely deformed his fingers because he had been eating junk food for a long time.
In the video, you can see that the boy's finger joints have become significantly thicker. Doctors say this is due to high uric acid.
How can you have high uric acid at a young age?
It turned out to be related to the boy's long-term drinking of milk tea and eating junk food.
Source: Dahe News official Weibo
It is said that childhood is incomplete without snacks. But after reading this news, as a parent, do you dare to let your children eat casually?
Children and adolescents are in a critical period of growth and development. Excessive or unreasonable snack intake, in addition to increasing the risk of obesity in children, can also lead to the risk of some chronic diseases.
For the health of children, snacks can not be eaten excessively, especially some snacks that have been blacklisted by the state.
01
Eating snacks without moderation is far more harmful than you think
A 16-year-old boy in Hunan suddenly fell into a severe coma and was rushed to the ICU for rescue. The doctor gave a critical illness notice in the ambulance.
Surprisingly, all this is related to the boy's long-term drinking of carbonated drinks. The boy began to be obsessed with various drinks from junior high school, and before the onset of the disease, he drank seven or eight bottles of carbonated drinks or milk tea every day, and lost more than 40 pounds in one or two weeks.
Source: Changsha Political and Legal Channel official Weibo
After emergency examination, the boy's blood sugar reached 52mmol/L, five or six times the normal value, and the heart rate was about 140 beats / minute, and cardiac arrest may occur at any time. Blood potassium also reached more than 7.9, and the mouth still has a "rotten apple smell".
Multiple organ failure throughout the body. Doctors say this is a typical symptom of diabetic ketoacidosis, and it may not be saved a few hours later.
Carbonated drinks are not water, but drinks with a very high sugar content, its main components are sugar and various additives, some even contain caffeine.
Drink as water, not only can not quench thirst, but also likely to induce various physical diseases. Once severe diabetes develops, the consequences are unimaginable.
As a parent, you really have to pay attention, you can't let your children drink drinks as water.
A 4-year-old boy in Zhongshan, because his parents spoiled, is more willful in terms of diet, usually eats snacks as food, has no concept of dinner, eats if he wants, does not eat if he does not want to eat, and drinks juice casually.
As a result, the child hematezed blood and was admitted to the hospital. After pediatric gastroscopy, the child had multiple gastric ulcers and duodenitis.
Doctors say snacking is a big trigger.
One by one, there are countless cases of various "strange diseases" at a young age, and some even lost their lives.
But can the child be blamed for all this?
Children naturally lack resistance to snacks, they only know that delicious things should be eaten more. In order to cater to the taste of children, some snack manufacturers will also add some additives that are not conducive to health.
As parents, we can't stop our child from snacking, but we must help him develop regular, healthy eating habits from an early age.
02
6 types of snacks blacklist, be sure to read carefully before buying
China's first children's snack standard "General Requirements for Children's Snacks" clearly stipulates children's snacks:
1. Cannot contain trans fatty acids;
2. Irradiation-treated raw materials cannot be used (irradiated foods, such as vegetable packets in instant noodles, will cause nutrient loss and cannot meet the nutritional needs of children);
3. Less salt, less sugar and less oil, requiring the limit values of sodium chloride, sucrose and fat;
4. Do not use preservatives, artificial colors, sweeteners;
5. Snacks cannot "collapse to small teeth";
6. Mandatory labeling of allergens.
These indicators take into account the child's tolerance, ability to resolve and the need to develop healthy eating habits.
Among these 6 types of requirements, some standards, such as less salt, less sugar and less oil, and no preservatives, are already well known. But there are some standards that are hidden, almost impossible to prevent, especially the first: trans fatty acids.
The addition of trans fatty acids to foods can make the taste better and not spoil easily. However, trans fatty acids are also known as "stupid fat", and excessive intake may make children fat, stupid, cause developmental disorders of the central nervous system, and damage memory.
Long-term eating of foods containing trans fatty acids can also cause children to be grumpy, irritable, and even cause cardiovascular diseases.
Since the ingredient list is usually not directly written with the five words "trans fatty acids", it is also difficult for parents to find out. Even if the trans fatty acid content is indicated as 0, it does not mean that it is safe.
A 12-year-old girl in Changsha has drunk 2 cups of milk tea almost every day for two consecutive years, and she doesn't like exercise, and her weight has soared from 110 pounds to 166 pounds.
I went to the hospital for examination and was diagnosed with obesity, hyperuricemia, and hyperlipidemia.
Source: People's Daily Official Weibo
Doctors said that some milk tea contains more trans fatty acids, and long-term drinking will cause cardiovascular disease and diabetes, damaging health.
Although trans fatty acids are not written directly, they have many "vests", such as refined vegetable oils, vegetable creams, hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarine, margarine, margarine, vegetable fat, cocoa butter, etc.
The higher these ingredients are placed on the ingredient list, the higher the amount of trans fatty acids added.
It is recommended that parents collect it and be sure to keep their eyes open when picking snacks for their children.
03
"Four Tips" to identify healthy snacks
Healthy snacks should be low in sugar, low sodium, low fat, and less additives. Most importantly, learn to look at the ingredient list and nutrient facts list.
The specific identification methods are as follows:
☞ The simpler the ingredients, the better
The simpler and more natural the ingredients in the ingredient list, the better, the kind of densely written with a large piece of text, does not mean that it is more nutritious, but adds a lot of additives, it is best to stay away.
Taking milk as an example, if only the words "raw milk" are written in the ingredient list, it is real pure milk.
If there are ingredients such as drinking water, white sugar, carrageenan, etc., it is not pure milk, but milk-containing drinks, that is, "fake milk".
Also pay special attention to find out the "vest" of trans fatty acids.
☞ The higher the natural ingredients, the better
Because the list of ingredients in the ingredient list is sorted by content, the higher the natural ingredients, the more natural ingredients are contained.
For example, if you want to choose a low-sugar snack, the further back the sugar is, the lower the sugar content.
☞ Low sodium, low fat, low sugar
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents,
Daily salt intake for children:
1~2 years old, salt intake should be ≤ 1g per day;
2~3 years old, salt intake should be ≤ 2g per day;
4~5 years old, salt intake should be ≤ 3g per day.
Daily sugar intake for children:
2~3 years old≤ 15g;
Over 3 years old≤ 50g, preferably below 25g.
Daily oil intake for children:
1~2 years, 5~15g;
2~3 years old 15~20g.
Taking salt as an example, too much sodium intake too early can easily increase the burden on the child's kidneys and is not conducive to growth and development.
When buying snacks, please pay attention to the "sodium" column in the nutrition facts table, such as the snacks with a sodium content of up to 2000mg in the figure below, which can be directly eliminated.
☞ Try to stay away from these additives
"Sweeteners": with the words "sugar", "honey" and "sweet", such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sodium saccharin, saccharin, cyclamate, etc.
"Color": Words with "color", such as sunset yellow, carmine, bright blue, lemon yellow, seductive red, etc.
"Preservatives": with the words "benzoic acid, sorbic acid, sulfurous acid", etc.
"Thickener": with the word "gum", such as gum arabic, carrageenan, pectin, agar gum, gelatin, etc.
In addition, when shopping for snacks, try to choose a brand with a good reputation to add a layer of protection to the safety of children.
04
The "three types of snacks" are well distinguished
Scientific and healthy snacking
There's no denying that kids need snacks.
The World Health Organization recommends that children after one year of age can eat 3-4 meals a day. If you are hungry in the middle, you can add 1-2 small snacks to ensure that your child is energetic.
Because the child's growth and development is rapid, but the stomach capacity is relatively small, and the amount of activity is relatively large, if you only rely on three meals a day, nutrition cannot keep up.
The key is to choose snacks scientifically.
Therefore, snacks are not that they cannot be eaten, but that they should be healthy and safe to eat. Both quality and limited quantity must be guaranteed, and it cannot be supplied without selection and without restraint.
The Guide to Snacks for Children and Adolescents in China (2018) divides children's snacks into three categories:
☞ Can be eaten frequently (green area)
Mainly low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar foods.
There are four categories: milk and dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and cereals.
Can be consumed daily.
☞ Eat in moderation (yellow zone)
It mainly refers to foods containing moderate amounts of oil, salt and sugar, such as various dried fruits, jerky, and soda biscuits. They contain antioxidants, minerals and dietary fiber for energy.
However, this kind of snack has high sugar, sodium, and fat content, and it is not recommended to eat more often.
It is recommended not to exceed 3 times a week.
☞ Limited consumption (orange zone)
It mostly refers to foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
This type of food is often referred to as "junk food" and "ultra-processed food".
At the end of 2022, the authoritative journal "Journal of the American Medical Association" published a new study - "The relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and cognitive decline".
The researchers followed up with more than 10,000 subjects for 6-10 years and concluded that when the intake of ultra-processed foods exceeded 19.9% of total daily energy, the rate of overall cognitive decline (including executive function, language fluency and memory) increased by 28%, and the rate of decline in executive function (including the ability to plan and execute goals) increased by 25%.
What are ultra-processed foods? Foods that have undergone complex processing count!
Depending on the degree of processing, there are 4 categories:
Categories 1 and 2: Unprocessed or minimally processed foodstuffs, as well as condiments.
This includes minimally processed fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, meat, fish, milk, etc., as well as natural flavorings and spices.
Category 3: Generally processed foods (less processed).
Including canned fruit, canned fish, cheese, bacon, etc.
Category 4: Ultra-processed foods.
This is a complex processed food with flavors, colors, sweeteners, emulsifiers or other food additives added.
For example: shortbread, cakes, biscuits, candy, smoked sausages, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, ham, fried snacks, puffed snacks, ice cream, ice cream, processed juices, etc.
Type 4, this high-sugar, high-fat snack, is recommended no more than once a week.
It should be reminded that even green area snacks that can be eaten regularly and are rich in nutrients cannot be eaten casually, following the "two principles":
1. Eat in limited quantities
A snack is a snack that can only be used as a supplement and cannot be eaten as a meal.
According to the requirements of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)", it is recommended that soybeans and nuts be 25~35 grams per day; Fruit 200~350 grams per day. Eating too many snacks will affect the intake of meals.
2. Eat for a limited time
The time to snack is best between two meals, which is often said to be the principle of "eat a good meal, add more meals in moderation".
Do not let your child develop the habit of snacking before bed, which is not good for both teeth and sleep.
Snacks can also be scientific, healthy, and rest assured, after all, we can never stop children's curiosity about snacks, rather than a complete ban, it is better to keep a good pass for children and eat snacks scientifically.
Finally, I wish the children both delicious snacks and a healthy body!
Bibliography:
Guidelines for Snacks for Children and Adolescents in China (2018), compiled by the Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Nutrition Society;
Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016);
"The Relationship Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Cognitive Decline," published in the Journal of Neurology of the American Medical Association.
Author:
Diandian Xu is a parenting column editor focusing on parenting and child psychology.