Childhood obesity is a real concern in Western Nations. The cause of childhood obesity is the same as adult obesity and stems from the consumption of a poor quality Western style diet. Adults tend to be more susceptible to weight gain compared to children, but the Western diet has now become so unhealthy that it is making children obese from very early ages. While ‘experts’ continue to argue that obesity is caused by overeating any food, this is has been falsified in the nutritional literature. Evidence now suggests that obesity is fuelled largely by a huge increase in the consumption of refined crystalline sugar in the form of sugar sweetened beverages. Other forms of refined carbohydrate including refined starch and sugars are likely contributory factors. High protein diets have been shown to be effective against weight gain, and may be an effective weight loss strategy. This is because protein in the diet is able to induce satiety and cause alteration to the metabolism of fuels following consumption.
High protein diets may increase postprandial fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates compared to high carbohydrate diets. They may also increase feelings of fullness and reduce hunger. This may explain some of the weight loss effects of high protein diets.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers investigated the effect of a high protein diet on a group of normal weight and overweight children. The children were fed either a high protein breakfast containing 344 kcal, 21 % protein, 52 % carbohydrate, and 27 % fat or a high carbohydrate breakfast containing 327 kcal, 4 % protein, 67 % carbohydrate, and 29 % fat. Following consumption of these meals, the children who had consumed the higher protein meal experienced 16 % higher fat oxidation rates and 32 % higher carbohydrate oxidation rates, compared to the children who had consumed the high carbohydrate meal. In addition, those children who had consumed the high protein meal also experienced increased feelings of satiety and increased feelings of fullness compared to the children who had consumed the high carbohydrate meal. Therefore, these data support previous studies showing that high protein diets may show weight loss benefits in those who consume them regularly.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
