Creating happy eaters

The health record of Scotland's children is one of the worst in the world. It's no coincidence that their diet is notoriously poor - two-thirds of young children consume sweets and fizzy drinks every day. Michelle Cook explains why good nutrition is essential for their physical and psychological development

WE are what we eat, the adage goes, and never has a truer word been spoken, particularly in the case of children.

Ten years ago, the best 'eaters' at school were those in Primary One. Today, many come to their first day of school programmed for fast food and fizzy drinks. When asked to name the four food groups, one child replied: "Burger King, Pizza Hut, McDonalds and fish and chips." This may seem both amusing and extreme, but it does indicate that from a very young age, our children are learning bad eating habits that will stay with them throughout their lives. And the ill-effects of a poor diet aren't just physical. Eating badly has been related to aggression, hyperactivity, a short attention span, and being unable to complete work at school. This is because all thoughts, and consequently all behaviour, are processed through the brain and nervous system, which is totally dependent on what we eat. About half of all the glucose in the bloodstream goes to power the brain, which is also reliant on a second-by-second supply of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. There are steps we can take to counteract modern-day problems. Most importantly, we can encourage the eating of fresh fruit and vegetables, and minimise refined, high sugar foods such as burgers, chips, cakes, biscuits, sweets and fizzy drinks. Trying to achieve the recommended intake of five portions of fruit and vegetables in a day isn't that hard if you remember that onions in sauces, real tomato sauce, and baked beans all count. One easy way of cutting out the rubbish in a child's diet is to substitute fruit for sweets. Children whose parents have limited their sweets since birth have been shown to readily accept fresh fruit at school, as opposed to those whose parents have not. The food messages children take from the adults around them are also important. It's no good munching on a chocolate bar while encouraging your kids to eat nutritious food. If you are already doing all the wrong things, don't despair, you can still make changes. Just do it gradually, unless you want a full- scale rebellion on your hands. Try healthy trade-offs - using one slice of wholemeal and one white in a sandwich, for example, or substituting fruit for sugar on cereals. Just as important as what children eat for breakfast, is making sure they don't skip it entirely, which is an increasing problem. If your child eats their evening meal at six o'clock, then misses breakfast, then goes to school, they've fasted for 17 hours by mid- morning break. A hungry child isn't interested in learning anything, or best-able to concentrate. Afternoon refuelling with junk food and colas is also likely, which means they may not have an appetite for their evening meal. If anyone is in any doubt that the effort of persuading children to eat well is worth it, an American study shows clear benefits for children's education. In Florida, two groups of first year schoolchildren who had behavioural problems and learning difficulties were given different diets. One group was given nutritious food to eat, and both they and their parents also received nutrition education. The other group ate regular school food, and was given no specific instruction. Five years later, the first group was working at their expected level or above in the regular education system. The second group was two or more grades behind their peers, and still in special education. Books Hassle Free Food (HEBS, 95p) Potatoes Not Prozac, Kathleen DesMaisons (Simon & Schuster, #8.99) Netlinks www.hebs.scot.nhs.uk www.nutrition.org.uk

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