Childhood Obesity and Emotional Dysregulation: Reading Food Labels, Searching for Monsters and Journaling. A mindfulness approach for teaching children about what’s really in their food and how it affects their bodies and minds.
Cynthia T. Ortiz, Child and Brain Development Nutritional Advisor. President, Founder, La Placita Wellness and Education Center, Inc. and Fitadelphia,
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Children (and adults) are consuming preservatives, pesticides, metals and other additives found in processed foods in high quantities. Baby food is especially high in toxic metals. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Dept of Agriculture report that small quantities of these chemicals are safe, safety concerns develop when they are consumed in high quantities. The saying, “a little bit won’t hurt” is only true when the consumer knows how much of the preservatives, pesticides, etc. they are consuming. In reviewing Figure 1, which is a food label for a bakery item, we encounter 9 out of the 16 Monsters discussed in the What’s Eating You Kid? Program. Six of the Monsters on the label have been identified as causing dysregulation (mostly anger and aggression) when consumed in excess. Consuming different foods that contain a list of ingredients like those in the Figure 1 label throughout the day is more than “just a little bit” and a cause for real concern. Seven of the Monsters in What’s Eating You Kid? can cause anger and aggression.
The purpose of What’s Eating You Kid? is (1) to teach children (and adults) to learn what the “Monsters” are (by studying the eBook, word puzzle, Monster puzzles and flash cards), (2) to teach the effects on health from overconsumption of these Monsters and (3) journaling (which is a mindful activity that can create awareness and change) to keep track of the Monsters using the interactive Monster Tracker Journal.
During two studies (2009 and 2010) at a preschool center and 30 summer day camps, children were taught nutrition using the My Food Pyramid for Kids along with food label recognition that were a precursor to the What’s Eating You Kid? program.
Findings: Children did not want to consume food that contain preservatives, pesticides, etc. if consuming these things were going to make them obese, cause aggression and/or shorten their lifespan. Children reacted to the information they received by insisting that their parents “stop feeding them junk and stop killing them.” We conducted parent workshops which initially led to the creation of the What’s Eating You Kid? eBook and program.
Conclusions & Significance: (1) Children want to be healthy. (2) Journaling is a mindfulness activity creating awareness and checking impulsivity. (3) Making better choices is awareness that creates change. (4) Parents and/or guardians, schools and organizations can learn and teach this program which is suitable for all ages. (5) In 2009, obesity and aggression were reversed 100% at a preschool proving that teaching label reading and a mindfulness intervention like journaling is a viable solution.
Lina Heurta-Saenz
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Academic General Pediatrics, Penn State, Milton S. Hershey Medical
2. Keeping A Food Diary Doubles Diet Weight Loss, Study Suggests — ScienceDaily
Jack Hollis Ph.D., Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research, Portland, OR
3. Does mindful improve obesity rates? | DMSO (dovepress.com)
Terrah Keck-Kester,
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Academic General Pediatrics, Penn State, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
Shomaker LB1, Human Development & Family Studies, Colorado State University
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Malaga, Spain
Simón Guendelman 1, Sebastián Medeiros 2, Hagen Rampes 3
Cynthia T. Ortiz is a certified Child and Brain Development Nutritional Advisor, nutrition researcher, childhood obesity educator and international speaker. She participated in Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move project and has been a leader in the Philadelphia and South Jersey community teaching children and adults through the Fitadelphia and the What’s Eating You Kid? program since 2006. Through her program she has taught over 8,000 children at different organizations and schools, and has trained and employed high school and college students to teach the program. She is the founder and president of the non-profit La Placita Wellness and Education Center, Inc., which was established in 2006 and provides obesity prevention/reversal and dysregulation education programs to the community. She was recognized by Mamas Latinas in 2012 as one of the top 25 influential mothers in the nation. She is the owner of the trademark Fitadelphia and author and illustrator of the copyrighted program What’s Eating You Kid?
Primary Email: fitadelphia@gmail.com
Notes/Comments:
Presenting author details
Full name: Cynthia T. Ortiz
Contact number: 267-427-6828
Twitter account: @fitadelphia
Linkedin account: cynthia-ortiz-446290237
Web info: fitadelphia.com; laplacitawellness.com; whatseatingyoukid.club
web emails: info@fitadelphia.com; info@laplacitawellness.com; info@whatseatingyoukid.club
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