Nutrition For Children | NutritionFacts.org

In 1953, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association radically changed our understanding of the development of heart disease. Researchers conducted autopsies on 300 American casualties of the Korean War, with an average age of around 22. Shockingly, 77 percent of soldiers already had visible evidence of coronary atherosclerosis. Some even had arteries that were blocked off 90 percent or more.

Later studies of accidental death victims aged 3 to 26 found that fatty streaks—the first stage of atherosclerosis—were in nearly all American children by age 10. By the time we reach our 20s and 30s, these fatty streaks can turn into full-blown plaques like those seen in the young American GIs of the Korean War. By the time we’re 40 or 50, they can start killing us off.

Atherosclerosis may start even before birth. Researchers found that the arteries of fetuses whose mothers had high LDL cholesterol levels were more likely to contain arterial lesions, suggesting atherosclerosis may not just start as a nutritional disease of childhood but one during pregnancy.

Childhood obesity and childhood diabetes have risen dramatically. Over recent decades, the number of American children considered to be overweight has increased by more than 100 percent. Children who are obese at age six seem more likely to stay that way, and 75 to 80 percent of obese adolescents may remain obese as adults.

Childhood obesity may be a powerful predictor of adult disease and death. Being overweight as a teenager was found to predict disease risk 55 years later. Such individuals may end up with twice the risk of dying from heart disease and a higher incidence of other diseases, including colorectal cancer, gout, and arthritis. Being overweight as a teen may in fact be an even more powerful predictor of disease risk than being overweight as an adult.

For more, check out our Resources for Fertility, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Early Childhood page.

For substantiation of any statements of fact from the peer-reviewed medical literature, please see the associated videos below.

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256 videos

All Videos for Children

Mother and child preparing a vegetable-heavy meal

Perceptions of Childhood Obesity and Diet Quality

One reason kids may not be eating more healthfully is that their parents vastly overestimate the quality of their child’s diet.

Digital drawing of teeth with water drops falling

Medicine’s Response to the Changing Science on Fluoride Safety

How did the medical and dental community react to U.S. regulators’ total 180 over water fluoridation, going from presumptively safe to presumptively dangerous?

Why I Changed My Mind on Water Fluoridation

Based on new research, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program reached a draft conclusion that fluoride should be “presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans.”

Is Water Fluoridation Safe?

There have been more than 50 studies showing an association between higher fluoride exposure and lower IQ, but is it cause-and-effect?

Side Effects of Water Fluoridation: Dental Fluorosis

According to the CDC, about a third of American children now have some form of cosmetic defects in their tooth enamel due to fluoride exposure, known as dental ﬂuorosis.

Why Is There Fluoride in Water? Is It Effective?

Based on nearly 100 randomized controlled trials, fluoride toothpaste reduces dental cavity rates, but what about just adding fluoride to the water supply?

Patient receiving a vaccination from medical provider

Benefits and Side Effects of the Pneumonia Vaccine

Randomized controlled trials have found that pneumonia vaccines significantly reduce the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia in people 65 and older.

Benefits and Side Effects of the Flu Vaccine

Randomized placebo-controlled trials show that flu shots can be extraordinary lifesavers.

The Side Effects of Human Growth Hormone as an Anti-Aging Therapy

Taking human growth hormone (somatotropin) may actually accelerate the aging process.

Is Soy Milk the Most Nutritious Non-Dairy Milk?

Soy milk is compared to dairy milk and other plant-based milks.

Is Six Hours of Sleep Enough?

Just because we don’t have evidence that there is a growing epidemic of sleep deprivation doesn’t necessarily mean we are getting enough sleep.

Pregnant person holding a white bowl of whole food

Plant-Based Pregnancy Outcomes and Breast Milk

The composition of breast milk is compared between vegetarian and nonvegetarian women.

How Much Erythritol Sweetener Is Too Much?

What are the maximum acute and daily doses for adults and children to avoid gastrointestinal effects?

Hand reaching for the stopper on an alarm clock

Does Getting Enough Sleep Help You Lose Weight?

Even getting just one more hour of sleep a night may help with weight control.

Does Lack of Sleep Cause You to Gain Weight?

Those randomized to 8.5 hours of sleep a night lost significantly more body fat than those who got 5.5 hours.

Woman choosing between salad and hamburger

How to Avoid the Boomerang Effect of Remedy Messaging

How can mandating healthy eating messaging on fast-food ads ironically make things worse?

The Side Effects of Burning Incense

Burning incense has been found to generate about four times the particulate matter as burning cigarettes.

Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Guts of Vegetarians vs. Meat-Eaters

Those eating plant-based have a reduced load of antibiotic resistance genes in their gut.

two doctors discussing medical report on a tablet

The Impacts of Weight Bias in Health Care

How might weight stigma be a vicious cycle?

Weight Bias: Hating Their Guts

How common is weight stigmatization in health care?

Cancer-Causing NDMA in Medications (Zantac, Metformin) and Meat

Billion-dollar drugs pulled from the market for carcinogenic contamination less than that found in a single serving of grilled chicken.

3d illustration of particles flowing through an artery

Can Cholesterol Get Too Low?

Why might healthy lifestyle choices wipe out 90 percent of our risk for having a heart attack, whereas drugs may only reduce risk by 20 to 30 percent?

Translucent cooking oil in a glass ingredient bowl

3-MCPD in Refined Cooking Oils

There is another reason to avoid palm oil and question the authenticity of extra-virgin olive oil.

Cannabis for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)

Cannabis for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Even though cannabis smoking may help with IBD symptoms in the short-term, it may make the long-term prognosis worse.

Are Vegans at Risk for Iodine Deficiency?

Most plant-based milks are not fortified with iodine.

Elderberry Benefits and Side Effects: Does It Help with Colds and the Flu?

How effective are flu shots, elderberries, echinacea, and cranberries?

Lychee Fruit and Hypoglycin: How Many Are Too Many?

There is a toxin in lychee fruit that can be harmful, but only under certain circumstances?

Plant-Based Meat Substitutes Put to the Test

What are the effects of plant-based meats on premature puberty, childhood obesity, and hip fracture risk?

The Best Type of Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin or Methylcobalamin?

For prevention and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency, cyanocobalamin in chewable, sublingual, or liquid forms (rather than in a multivitamin) is best under most circumstances.

The Optimal Vitamin B12 Dosage for Kids, Pregnancy, and Seniors

At age 50, everyone, regardless of diet should start supplementing with B12-fortified foods or supplements but over age 65 only high-dose daily supplements may suffice.

The Role of Epigenetics in the Obesity Epidemic

Astonishingly, a baby with a heavy surrogate mother and a thin biological mom may harbor a greater risk of becoming obese than a baby with a slim surrogate mom and a heavy biological one.

Do Vegetarians Really Have Higher Stroke Risk?

The first study in history on the incidence of stroke of vegetarians and vegans suggests they may be at higher risk.

The Immune System and COVID-19 Treatment

Are there immune-boosting foods we should be eating?

Social Distancing, Lockdowns & Testing- How to Slow the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social Distancing, Lockdowns, and Testing: How to Slow the COVID-19 Pandemic

What can we learn from other countries and the 1918 pandemic to slow COVID-19?

Are Melamine Dishes and Polyamide Plastic Utensils Safe?

I recommend glass, ceramic, porcelain, or stainless-steel tableware and wooden or stainless-steel cooking utensils.

Are Aluminum Pots, Bottles, and Foil Safe?

DNA damage is assessed in users of aluminum cookware.

The Role of the Toxic Food Environment in the Obesity Epidemic

Implausible explanations for the obesity epidemic, such as sedentary lifestyles or lack of self-discipline, serve the needs of the manufacturers and marketers more than the public’s health and the interest in truth.

The Role of Personal Responsibility in the Obesity Epidemic

How the power of the “eat more” food environment can overcome our conscious controls.

The Role of Marketing in the Obesity Epidemic

The unprecedented rise in the power, scope, and sophistication of food marketing starting around 1980 aligns well with the blastoff slope of the obesity epidemic.

The Role of Diet vs. Exercise in the Obesity Epidemic

The common explanations for the cause of the obesity epidemic put forward by the food industry and policymakers, such as inactivity or a lack of willpower, are not only wrong, but actively harmful fallacies.

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