On junk food and health
Dear Maricel,
I am writing regarding the issue on junk food and soft drinks being sold in school canteens. What is your opinion on the matter? Our kids can easily buy these items almost every day in the school canteen. The school owner told us parents that those snacks/chips in the canteen are “fortified with vitamins” — a label supported by the Department of Health. I also overheard the school staff saying that they can’t earn more profit if they will only sell cooked food, sandwiches, etc., or other perishable items. Some parents commented that the school is more concerned with making a profit at the expense of their children’s health. We have already asked several doctors about the “fortified with vitamins” label on the chips. They said that there’s no truth to this and the salt content and MSG in these snacks/chips are harmful to our young kids’ kidneys and livers. When I visited my late father-in-law in the dialysis section in the hospital, I came across kids there as young as 10 years old who were undergoing dialysis. To my surprise, all the kids are really so fond of junk food and soft drinks. Their busy working moms admitted that they have no time to monitor how their kids spend the money they’re given as school “baon.” I’m also a cool mom. I know that I can’t totally deprive my kids of junk food (sitsirya) or soft drinks. I let them do so occasionally, like when attending a party, etc. I once read an article by Lucy Torres-Gomez who said that the more you deprive your children, the more they will eat this stuff like a pig when their parents are not around.
Concerned mommy
Parañaque
Thank you very much for your insightful letter. Indeed, junk foods are a major concern of many parents. I have also been told by my son that it’s good to consume his favorite chips because it contains vitamin A. I had to sit down with him to explain that though his favorite junk food contains some vitamins, it does not give him the license to consume it all day long. I also had to remind my son that his favorite junk food contains cheese and food coloring, both of which he is highly allergic to.
Admittedly, I’m a reformed junk food addict and I will have to say that with everything, there should be moderation. I don’t remember being told not to consume junk food so I indulged and was addicted to soft drinks and drank six bottles daily throughout grade school! Thank God, I lived with a mom who was a health buff and always cooked healthy organic foods at home that I soon realized the difference and kicked my junk food eating habit. I have asked the help of gastroenterologist/nutritionist Dr. Grace L. Uy of the Philippine Children’s
Is it true that the more you deprive kids of junk food, the more they will want to eat it?
DR. GRACE Uy: I don’t think that there is a scientific paper out that really measures or proves the addiction to junk food. I think the case with junk food is that it is all around us that we cannot avoid them, more so with children who do not have the power to discriminate good from wrong yet. Given that they are bombarded with these, day in and out, from the stores to schools to television commercials to their classmates, it is very difficult to ignore them. The reason why they pig out probably is not related to the foods themselves, but more so to the psychological phenomenon, that the forbidden fruit is sweeter. Everything in the end boils down to the family’s eating habits. If early on, eating healthy was part of the child’s life, then junk food will not play a major part in that child’s diet.
What does junk food do to our body?
Junk foods are high in salt, trans fats, and additives. These ingredients per se do not do anything to the organs, like cause inflammation or damage to them. But it’s the overall effect later on in a child’s life, like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes that should be parents’ concern. Salt is not good for the kidneys and excessive intake can lead to hypertension.
What does the label ”fortified with vitamins” supported by DOH really mean?
This is the Sangkap Pinoy seal that the DOH allows food manufacturers to put on their labels — the approved nutrients are vitamin A, iodine, and iron. But isn’t it ironic that this Sangkap Pinoy seal is placed on junk foods, which can lead to the false belief that just because they have the DOH seal, it means they are healthy?
What do the salt and MSG contents do to our children?
MSG is monosodium glutamate, which makes it high in salt. I think the ill effects of these elements are answered in question 2. When you talk of snacks, you want healthy snacks, not the usual junk foods. So when you prepare foods for snacks, a little bit of salt added to taste is not too bad. But it becomes excessive when used in processed foods. MSG should never be used.
Healthy snacks even for children include fruits and our local foods llike saba and kamote, which do not need additional salt and more so, msg.
If junk foods are here to stay, how can we prevent our kids from their ill effects?
The only way we can avoid junk food is to have a good foundation about healthy eating patterns and habits. Parents should be role models — if children do not see them eating junk food most of the time, it will not be part of their repertoire. Educate them early on what is healthy, what is not. Having said that, since it is unavoidable, letting them eat this once in a while will not be so bad so as not to totally deprive your kids.
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E-mail me at mommytalk@businessworks.com.ph.
