Serving Size and Childhood Obesity
The problem of childhood obesity is increasingly serious. According to government figures, nearly 1 out of 5 is obese, leading them to a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease and other health problems. Beyond the distressing situation, an encouraging story was reported at CNN.com
Diane Nellis was worried about the health of her teenage son who weighed 240 pounds. But she didn’t put him on a diet. Or send him to a fat camp.
She took him to a hospital.
There, Trevor Nellis, 17, learned to limit portions to the size of his fist, cut out fast food and soda, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Six months later, he has lost nearly 40 pounds and runs three miles a day.
We all know that healthy diet and physical exercise are very important to control body weight. Seldom do we realize the importance of limiting portions which is also the key to make Trevor succeed. National Institution of Health recommends parents to keep an eye on portion size:
It’s called portion distortion; the “super size” age has distorted what we perceive as a normal portion. Find out how to judge portion sizes and servings to better control what you and your family are eating.
A “serving” is a unit of measure used to describe the amount of food recommended from each food group…… For example, 6-11 servings of whole grains are recommended daily. A recommended serving of whole grains would be 1 slice of bread or 1/2 cup of rice or pasta.
You can download a Serving Size Card (PDF) that gives you a clear idea of what a standard food serving looks like.
Portion Control [National Institutes of Health]
Update:
A new study, reported over at Reuters (2 May 2006), suggests people who are overweight or obese early in life may not be more likely to have heart disease or stroke as adults. - Link