Hippocrates said circa 400BC that “food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food”. He would probably turn in his grave if he saw the amount of highly processed, sugary food and drinks marketed to children today. This food can be as addictive as cocaine or heroin. And it’s difficult for parents to counteract its appeal.
One in four Australian children and 63% of adults are overweight or obese. This is contributing to unprecedented levels of preventable obesity-related disease such as diabetes, heart disease, and liver and kidney failure.
Unhealthy diets also contribute to poor mental health and lower IQ in children. Just like our body, our brain needs essential nutrients and a healthy environment free from inflammation, oxidation and excess glucose to work properly.
What Can We Do?
Public health groups are tackling junk food marketing with a multifaceted approach akin to the painfully gradual change that reduced tobacco advertising and smoking. In the meantime, parents can have a very important influence on their child’s health and eating choices.
A healthy diet at any age is high in plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains as well as fish and healthy oils such as extra virgin olive oil. And it’s low in processed, high-fat, high-sugar foods and red meat.
It’s important to enjoy a variety of foods from each of the core food groups in order to get a broad range of essential nutrients.
