“Dietary patterns in the U.S. are poor, start early, and persist,” Dr. Jose M. Saavedra, chief medical officer for the nutrition division of Nestle USA, said at the meeting. Recently published data in Journal of Obesity (doi: 10.1155/2012/123023) indicate that children who consume sugar-sweetened beverages during infancy are twice as likely to consume them at age 6 years. Similarly, children who do not consume fruits and vegetables daily in infancy were also found to consume them infrequently at the age of 6.
“The patterns start much earlier than what we’ve been paying attention to,” said Dr. Saavedra. He thinks that the window of behavioral plasticity is widest at age 20 months, and urged his peers to find ways to help parents to establish good habits in their children during that time.
Discussing healthy behaviors with parents can help, and may elicit some parental behaviors that can be corrected. During the question and answer session at the meeting, for example, an audience member shared an anecdote about a mother who would only serve her children soda because she’d come from an island nation where the water supply was often unsafe.
Others noted that parents and grandparents who have grown up under conditions of food scarcity can view a “chubby” baby as a healthy baby. Mothers also can feel pressured into overfeeding infants, beginning with supplementing formula.
Also, food is often used as a quick and easy reward, Dr. Messito said. When money is tight, a cookie is an inexpensive treat.
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