As I have watched
the economy falter this year, my thoughts have been especially focused
on how economic challenges affect our nation's nutrition, fitness
and health. Studies and government data confirm that as our finances
suffer, our health is adversely affected as well. While it appears
contradictory, the data show that as people become less able to afford
food, obesity rates actually increase. There are many reasons for
this and I would encourage you to read the article, The
Dual Burden of Being Overweight and Undernourished, by noted University
of Washington nutrition researcher and epidemiologist Adam Drewnowski,
PhD.
Also of interest
is a study
from the November 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The researchers took a look at the caloric intake, diet quality and
fitness levels of low-income children. While one-third of the group
were classified as obese, the children were undernourished as well,
with diets lacking in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and
folate. A mere 11% of the children had acceptable fitness levels.
One practical illustration
of this obesity paradox is reflected in a grocery flyer that I use
as a teaching tool. Fresh bing cherries are advertised at 2.88/pound
right next to a "budget stretcher" coupon which features
a box of 16 corn dogs for $2.99. For a struggling family with limited
funds and hungry children, the choice is pretty clear where to spend
the three bucks.
Cooking an Essential
Skill
One way that all families can both eat better and save money is to
learn to cook and eat at home. Sadly, cooking from scratch seems a
lost art for many young adults who are now becoming parents. There
has been less emphasis on Family & Consumer Sciences in many middle
and high schools and this has been a real loss. Even though I grew
up on a farm with abundant fresh food and two great cooks, I actually
learned proper cooking procedures (oh, like measuring, for instance!)
in my high school home economics class.
Speaking of cooking,
here are the links for some of my favorite holiday recipes that I
have posted on this site over the years:
Fruity
Baked Squash Rounds
Cranberry
Rice Pilaf
Sweet
Granny Potatoes
Pumpkin
Softies
Pumpkin
Apple Muffins
Reindeer
Faces
On a personal level,
I am faced with the challenge of cooking for a big athletic kid with
extremely high energy needs. I mean a really big kid! My "baby"
is 16, 6'5" and the starting right tackle on his varsity high
school football team (who, as of this writing, is headed to the Oregon
6A state semifinals! UPDATE: On 12/6/08,
Adam's team won the 6A state championships!). In addition
to three hours of football practice, he takes a daily strength conditioning
class. I strive to make sure he eats plenty of quality, nutrient-rich
foods while meeting his extremely high caloric needs (an estimated
5500/day). I mix up a large fruit-yogurt smoothie (16 ounces) to go
with his breakfast every morning, send extra food for lunch, and have
supper #1 waiting when he gets home at 6:00 P.M. I need to make sure
there is plenty left for Supper #2, which occurs somewhere around
9:30 P.M.
Giving Thanks
And finally, when I give thanks this week, my Feeding Kids readers
will be high on the list. After 12 years of writing this newsletter,
I continue to receive positive feedback, varying points of view, and
best of all, the message that sometimes, something I wrote made a
difference in someone's life. To me, there is no greater reward than
making a difference.
Thanks and blessings,
