These days we aren’t even sure if an apple is good for us. There is probably some study stating that the nutrient in a common fruit can cause a disease we have never heard of. The latest claim is that BPA, the chemical commonly found in plastic bottles and canned foods, has been linked to a higher risk for obesity among young girls.
In order to try to explain the steep increase in obesity rates over the last few years, there was a study done on a potential environmental culprit known as BPA. The research studied 1,326 school-age children in China and measured the BPA levels in their urine. Surprisingly higher levels of BPA were found in the urine of girls between the ages of 9 to 12 and as the BPA urine levels increased so did the obesity risk of the girls. Even more surprising is that the girls in this age group were the only ones affected—boys or those outside of the 9 to 12 range didn’t experience a risk of being overweight or obese.
The reasons for this are unsure and likely need to be studied more but in the interim we say to keep your little girl’s hands off of bottles with traces of BPA. The American Chemistry Council did note that attempting to link minute exposures to chemicals found in everyday products seems like a waste of time in comparison to the real efforts that could be done to address the ongoing health issue.
Study or no study, it is never too soon to start implementing healthy lifestyle tactics in your household. Here are some easy changes you can make for you and your children starting today:
- Eat right at breakfast. Even for kids the first meal of the day is the most important and will help them sustain their energy and learning schedules.
- Keep portion sizes small. Your little ones don’t need to eat adult portion sizes!
- Don’t let your kids drink their fruit. Stick to the real stuff and ditch the sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Play outside as often as possible. Encourage your kids to get outside and use up their energy.
- Set a routine. Kids like predictability so establish a routine for healthy eating and physical activity.
Interestingly all of these tactics work for adults too!
What do you think about the BPA study? Any other healthy lifestyle tactics for kids to add to the list?
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