Dec

7

Baby … fat? - Lancaster Newspapers- Childhood Obesity News

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Although the report, which replaces a retired 1998 policy on cholesterol in childhood, advocates targeted application of the guidelines and correlated screenings, Killough said the policy proves beneficial for the majority of infants. The previous recommendation, which called for whole milk for children between 12 and 24 months, followed by 2 percent for 2-to 4-year-olds, rested on the traditional belief that fats aid the healthy and proper development of myelin, a substance that forms a sheath lining the nerve cells in the brain. Gershenson said that although considerations for reduced-fat milk might be necessary in the case of an already-obese baby, he believes, in most average-weight infants, whole milk "would not condemn a child to a lifetime of obesity or atherosclerosis, as long as the family can be vigilant about controlling fatty foods and overeating through the remainder of childhood. Through his studies, he has pinpointed the intake of sweet beverages and fast food, as well as prolonged periods of "media time" — time spent sedentary in front of the television, computer or video games — as factors that increase a child's risk of becoming overweight. Read Childhood Obesity

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