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10.10.06: How To Feed A 1 Year Old Child
The problem of obesity is becoming more and more acute nowadays. In most cases obesity is caused by nutrition habits formed in early childhood under the influence of food diversity. The most harmful habit is the one to “have snacks”. In the second year of life a child starts to sleep once during the day time, instead of two times during the first year. This leads to the reduction of feedings - four feedings with 4 hours interval. If food allowance is balanced, your child is not hungry between the feedings, and all he needs is liquid. It is important to remember that drinks must be slightly sweet or sugar – free.
When parents want to enjoy their child’s delight and entertain him with various modern candies, they form the habit of quick satiation, without stopping, thus reducing the number of health-giving elements. Consuming such food the kid puts on weight, soup and porridge do not attract him. Rather often a mother comes to a doctor, complaining that her child does not eat any food. The son is sitting nearby, constantly chewing cookies or sweets. Such stuff cannot be referred to as food, of course, but in such case the child will not want to eat anything else.
There is still another harmful habit. Rather often people eat sweets or fast food when they go to the cinema or on excursion. The idea to combine visual, emotional and gustatory pleasures was implemented by numerous advertisements. Nowadays almost nobody remembers that eating while watching something was considered to be impolite and vulgar.
One is unable to concentrate on the smell and view of food, when his attention is distracted by entertainments – and this is the quickest way to put on weight. But nutrition habits formed in childhood captivate not only behavior. A body, accustomed to get quickly assimilated carbohydrates, will protest against any changes. This is, however, a topic for another discussion…
N.G. Ivanenko, CMS, Family Doctor, Pediatrician, American Medical Center
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