Kids ‘eating their way into middle-age disease’

Both New Zealand and Australia are seeing the same lifestyle-related diseases that are occurring throughout the world, together with increasing disparities in health status. The 2007 Joint New Zealand & Australian Nutrition Societies Conference & Annual Scientific Meeting, entitled "Is the Quest for the Idyllic Lifestyle Killing Us?" and held 5-7 December at Massey University’s Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand, focussed on the concept of the idyllic lifestyle: what it is, whether we have it, and the advantages and disadvantages of it. One visiting US nutrition expert warned that overweight children were eating their way to illnesses normally only seen in middle-aged and older adults.

Dr Lynn Moore, one of the key note speakers at the conference, spoke about her extensive research into the epidemiology of obesity, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease, with an emphasis on the origin of adult disease in childhood.

Dr Moore is a researcher at the Section of Preventative Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University’s School of Medicine, and an investigator of the long-running Framingham Heart Study.

"Symptoms of metabolic dysfunction are being seen at alarmingly early ages, with some children and adolescents even developing the adult form of diabetes," said Dr Moore.

Metabolic syndrome is not a disease but a clustering of risk factors on the path to disease, particularly diabetes. Risk factors include abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, high blood glucose levels and raised blood pressure.

The inactivity and poor diet of some children has set them on a course for a modern-day tragedy.

"The most surprising result from our research was the strong direct effect of diet and activity on the risk of developing metabolic syndrome at a young age."

Dr Moore said, "Pre-school eating and activity habits determine adolescent shape and weight."

Children who consumed the recommended amounts of dairy, fruits and non-starchy vegetables had a lower risk of obesity, less fat around the waist, lower blood pressure and higher ‘good’ cholesterol levels by the time of adolescence.

"Other beneficial effects were noted from higher intake of grains, particularly whole grains, while the consumption of moderate amounts of meats and other proteins were not seen to increase the risk of obesity during childhood."

To have the best possible chance of avoiding overweight and obesity in adolescence, Dr Moore offered the following advice for pre-school children:

1. Eat two to four servings of dairy every day
2. Eat at least six servings of grains (especially whole grains)
3. Eat four to eight servings of fruit and vegetables
4. Ensure a balanced intake of meat and protein

Furthermore, Dr Moore said that children should watch no more than two hours of TV a day, and should include physical activity into their daily routine.

Dr Moore noted that some ‘well-intentioned’ dietary changes had backfired nutritionally. For example, the epidemic of heart disease had focused attention on dietary fat, leading to a widespread general avoidance of dairy foods.

"Cutting out an entire food group, such as dairy, for the purpose of weight loss is not supported by scientific evidence. Indeed, there is research to show that overweight adults with low intakes of calcium might benefit from increasing their dairy intake when trying to lose weight."

Dr Moore speculated that children who consumed more dairy foods gained less body fat because the calcium content might suppress fat production and the protein content might foster the development of greater lean body mass.

(Source: Joint New Zealand & Australian Nutrition Societies Conference & Annual Scientific Meeting. Auckland, New Zealand: 5-7 December 2007. : Dairy Australia : December 2007)

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• Milk and Milk Products