Children under five should not have low-fat diets

The results of a new survey show that some nurseries are giving children too many fruits and vegetables and not enough carbohydrates.

This latest study carried out by the local government regulatory body Lacors focused on children in nursery schools across 29 English councils. In some nurseries children were being given portions that were too large and too high in salt, and in others the children were not being offered enough.

The report highlighted the the plight of parents who are themselves constantly warned of the perils of childhood obesity. In a bid to combat this obesity that they are warned of they place pressure on nursery staff to offer low calorie food.

It is a growing problem, according to the National Day Nurseries Association.
“Parents are aware of the importance of ensuring their child eats healthily to avoid obesity and health problems in later life, but this can sometimes lead to parents making requests that their child follows a strict diet, such as skimmed milk and low-fat foods,” says its chief executive Purnima Tanuku. “Children under five have specific needs, and should not have low-fat diets as their growing bodies need fat and carbohydrates.”

High-fibre, low-calorie diets that adults are encouraged to eat are not enough to sustain a growing toddler. Still growing rapidly, this age-group requires a diet which although proportionate to their size, provides more calories than that of an adult. Children burn fat must faster than adults and so low fat products should be eliminated from their diets as they require the extra energy to grow.

Wholegrains and high-fibre dishes are fine in moderation but may fill a child up without providing the calories they need. Seen by some as a nutritional wasteland, easily-digestible white bread is not necessarily a bad option for children, particularly if they have eaten a wholegrain cereal for breakfast.
“While the five-a-day message must certainly still be there, a child’s portion does need to be smaller so they have room for the other, more substantial items on their plates. They simply won’t get the calories they need from fruit and vegetables, even in large quantities,” said Jessica Williams, a paediatric dietician.

Amid heightened concerns of childhood obesity, it appears that the the plight of underweight children has been forgotten. Studies has been shown that being persistently underweight as a child can cause medical problems throughout life, ranging from cognitive impairment to skeletal disorders.

There have been calls for public health policy makers to consider both ends of the body mass spectrum when fixing priorities in child health.