Experts Say You Should Keep Your Athletic Kids Away from Sports and Energy Drinks

Every child involved in sports will have a greater need of rehydration than kids who do not play sports.

A new report says that "there is nothing better than water for that."

Clinical Report
The clinical report, issued by AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), says that "There is a lot of confusion about sports drinks and energy drinks, and adolescents are often unaware of the differences in these products. Some kids are drinking energy drinks - containing large amounts of caffeine - when their goal is simply to rehydrate after exercise. This means they are ingesting large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which can be dangerous."

The report then describes sports drinks and energy drinks.

• "Sports Drinks - these contain carbohydrates, electrolytes, flavoring and minerals. They are supposed to replace electrolytes and water lost through sweating. Young athletes who are involved in vigorous and prolonged sports may benefit from sports drinks. However, in the majority of cases they are unnecessary."


• "Energy Drinks - these contain stimulants, such as taurine, guarana and caffeine. Caffeine has been associated with several damaging effects on children, effects which may harm the child's cardiovascular and developing neurologic systems. Energy drinks are totally unsuitable for children and teenagers."

Important points to take home from the above descriptions are that sports drinks are usually unnecessary (we would venture to say ALWAYS unnecessary), and that "energy drinks are totally unsuitable for children and teenagers."

Remember that: "In many cases, it's hard to tell how much caffeine is in a product by looking at the label. Some cans or bottles of energy drinks can have more than 500 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of 14 cans of soda" and that: "The carbohydrates in sports drinks may contribute to overweight and obesity risk. There is also the problem of dental erosion."

VitaminWater
On August 5th of 2010 we discussed a Negative Article About VitaminWater on Well-known Newspaper. So no... Your kids should not be drinking VitaminWater either.

After all, did you know that Coca-Cola lawyers say that "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitaminwater was a healthy beverage." Meaning that there is no reason anyone should think VitaminWater is healthy.

Article:
[Medical News Today]: Energy Drinks Contain Substances That Can Harm Sporty Children

INSANE: Doctors Testing Diabetes Medication to Prevent Overweight Newborns

We could hardly believe it when we first read this...

According to the article, a doctor would like to use metformin, a diabetes medication, to prevent the birth of an overweight child. The reasoning behind this INSANE trial is to "keep potentially pudgy babies from tipping the scales too high at birth, which can expose them — and their moms — to serious complications and lifelong problems".

The Study
There are 75 women in the study group currently but the goal is to reach 2,178 and have the trial conducted by different doctors in eight different sites.

The women will be split into two groups. Both groups will follow a diet and exercise routine but one group will be given 300mg of metformin each day while the second group receives a placebo.

The study hasn't been completed so no results have been posted. But the doctor behind this trial hopes to have a significantly lower newborn obesity rate in the group taking the medication than the group taking the placebo.

Our Reaction
OMG! This lady should have her medical license taken away from her!

Here's why... Metformin "decreases the amount of glucose you absorb from your food and the amount of glucose made by your liver."^[1]

This doctor lacks logic. What's more shocking is that women actually signed up to be a part of this study!

How ironic is it that metformin could lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which could, in turn, lead to hunger?

Fiber slows down the rate of sugar absorption in the intestine... What ever happened to telling pregnant women not to eat junk food? How about recommending a diet based on the glycemic index? We don't know if fiber of the glycemic index are the answers... But we KNOW medication that carries long-term risks is not the answer (this according to experts interviewed for the article).

Article:
[MSNBC]: Obese fetus? Let mom pop a pill, doc says

References:
[1] PubMed Health - Metformin

Turns out "Bad" Cholesterol isn't so Bad Afterall

A Texas A&M study suggests that LDL isn't as bad as it has been made out to be. Researches said that new attitudes need to be adopted with regard to LDL.

The Study
52 healthy adults, ages 60 to 69, with no physical activity were told to do vigorous workouts. After the workout, those with higher muscle mass were the ones with the highest levels of LDL (the "bad cholesterol").

What the Scientists Concluded
"It shows you do need a certain amount of LDL to gain more muscle mass. There's no doubt you need both - the LDL and the HDL - and the truth is, it [cholesterol] is all good. You simply can't remove the 'bad cholesterol' from your body without serious problems occurring."

"...the more LDL you have in your blood, the better you are able to build muscle during resistance training."

Link to article:
[Medical News Today]: Study Suggests That 'Bad' Cholesterol Is Not As Bad As People Think

Some Obese Kids in Mexico Now Face Health Risks

Schools in Xalapa Mexico reported that 60% of children were overweight or obese. This prompted researchers from the state's university to conduct a study with children young enough to be in elementary school.

In their study, they found that 11 and 12 year olds showed early signs of risks associated with metabolic syndrome. The researchers established that as a child's age increases, so do problems related to weight and obesity, meaning that preschoolers have a less overweight rate but this changes when they get to elementary schools and junior high school.

The researchers noticed that bagged lunches may be the explanation. Kindergardeners are more likely to take prepared foods to school while older children are more likely to purchase food at schools. Almost no one takes a lunch to school in junior high school.

Another issue that researchers noticed is that activity decreases as kids age. Older kids tend to play less outside and their games or forms of entertainment are rarely related with exercise. They normally resort to video games.

Proposed Solution
The researchers suggest that a solution requires help from different sources. The first and key source is the parents. Parents need to know and must control what their kids are eating. They insist that parents prepare lunches at home. In general, kids do not worry about nutrition. This is why they should seldom be given money that will be spent on food items.

When interviewed, children said they purchased potato chips, french fries, pastries, peanuts, and sodas (among other types of junk food). Some parents prepare a lunch but also give their kids money so they can purchase additional items. In one case a child expressed that his mom made him a sandwich every day but that his father gave him money as well. He buys a Coke and a bag of flavored chips. “This is exactly what I eat everyday during recess.”

According to the researchers, these actions have led to the current overweight/obesity problem.

When was the last time you prepared a healthy lunch for your kids? When was the last time you asked (and knew they weren't lying) what your kids ate during lunch?

Link to Article:
[Diario Xalapa]: Llega a niños riesgo a la salud por obesidad

Study Finds that Watching TV Raises a Child's Blood Pressure

A recent study found that the time children spend watching TV is positively associated with both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.

The study was conducted in 2009 and found that kids had elevated blood pressure after watching television. This study came to a very interesting conclusion: "Sedentary activity was not significantly related to systolic blood pressure [the top number in a reading] or diastolic [bottom number] blood pressure...However, TV viewing and screen time, but not computer use, were positively associated with both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure."

The researchers also concluded that because "total objective sedentary time was not associated with elevated blood pressure, it appears that other factors, which occur during excessive screen time, should also be considered in the context of sedentary behavior and elevated blood pressure development in children."

Important Facts
The children were sedentary an average of 5 hours per day.
They watched television an average of 1.5 hours per day.

How much time are your children sedentary every day?
How much time do your children spend watching television?

Link to article:
[USNews.com / Health]: Young Kids' Screen Time May Raise Blood Pressure