Children and healthy eating The sugar trick backfires

Healthy baby nutrition: What parents should not do under any circumstances

Some parents encourage their offspring to make a healthier diet by sprinkling a bit of sugar on foods such as fresh strawberries or natural yoghurt. But this trick goes backwards, as researchers now report. Because children who consume sweetened fruits or dairy products, have a long-term risk of being overweight.

More and more children are too fat

According to international research, the number of obese children has increased dramatically. Also in Germany more and more obese people live. Obesity (obesity) can cause a variety of diseases. To address the problem, it is important to address the main risk factors for overweight: lack of exercise and unhealthy diet. But how can you positively influence the eating habits of children? In any case, not with the so-called "sugar trick", as has now been shown in a study.

Some parents sprinkle sugar on foods such as fruit or yoghurt to encourage children to eat healthier foods. But this trick is going according to a new study behind. (Image: Monkey Business / fotolia.com)

Childlike body needs a lot of energy

Evolution actually meant it quite well with us. Especially in childhood, when our body needs a lot of energy because of the growth, we have a pronounced appetite or even cravings for sweets.

But what was beneficial in a primeval world of deficiency can cause problems in an affluent society, writes the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS in a Communication.

The proportion of overweight and obese children has multiplied worldwide in recent decades.

From the point of view of science, in addition to a lack of physical activity, this is mainly due to the increased consumption of sweets and soft drinks.

Mediate healthy diet

Many parents rightly try to give their offspring a healthy, low-sugar diet.

But not all children are happy when there are only "healthy" fruits and vegetables.

Some parents therefore sprinkle sugar on the fresh fruits and on the natural yoghurt or cocoa in the milk to give the little one a little bit sweet start on the way to a healthy diet.

But what is well meant can have a negative impact in the longer term, as a recent study by the BIPS now shows.

Quality of the diet dropped

For this purpose, the international research team from Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Estonia and Germany evaluated the data of the more than 16,000 children who participated in the European IDEFICS study on childhood obesity.

A large proportion of these children were re-examined after two years as part of the BIPS-led study to identify changes over time.

The analysis revealed a clear picture, according to the scientists.

The children who consumed more sweetened fruits, smoothies and dairy products at the time of the first examination showed significantly more signs of overweight and obesity two years later than the control group.

In addition, the quality of their diet had fallen more frequently and more sharply - so unhealthier - than that of the control group.

To abstain from sweetening fruits and dairy products

"The results prove that sugaring healthy food, though it may be well-intentioned, tends to do the opposite," Dr. Antje Hebestreit, Head of the Lifestyle-Related Diseases Unit at BIPS and co-author of the study.

"Our assumption is that here the character of taste, which we experience especially at a young age, plays an important role," says the expert.

"Anyone who consume sweets - even small amounts of added sugars - as a child often later also accesses sugary foods more frequently, thereby increasing their risk of obesity and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. To develop diabetes, "Dr. Hebestreit.

"Our recommendation is therefore to largely refrain from sugar, honey and instant powder for sweetening fruits and dairy products. It makes more sense to offer the children quite deliberately a high variety of flavors to prevent the great boredom at the dining table and a monotonous and thus unhealthy food selection in later years. "

And: "Anyone who values ​​diversity rather than sugar also provides their children with a broader range of nutrients that children need for their growth and well-being." (Ad)