Life Science Nutritionals Releases a New Infographic Aimed at Educating Parents About the Dangers of SoFAS
Burlington, Ontario (PRWEB) January 30, 2014 -- A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed an alarming trend, prompting Life Science Nutritionals (LSN) to create a new infographic aimed at educating parents on how to get their kids off the SOFAS.
SoFAS are the excess intake of energy from solid fat (SoF) and added sugar (AS). These “empty calories” displace more nutrient-dense foods and push calorie intake well over the daily needs. Despite efforts to reduce SoFAS consumption, 97% of children exceeded the maximum recommendations for discretionary calorie intake.
“What parents don’t realize is that even the so-called ‘Good for you’ prepackaged food is full of solid fats and added sugar,” says LSN Coordinator of Social Media and mother of three, Deborah Lowther. “The labels flash trendy health words at you like ‘whole grains’, ‘real fruit’, ‘fat free’ and tease you into thinking it is good for you while it is still made with artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners and preservatives that clearly are not.”
The health consequences of SoFAS consumption are serious. Besides displacing more nutrient-dense foods and leading to excess calorie consumption, SoFAS contribute to obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Previously only seen in adults, an estimated 1 in 10 teens meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome, a term used to describe a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The risk factors including obesity, triglyceride levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
“Parents assume if the packaging says ‘whole wheat’ or ‘low fat’ that it is healthy,” warns Lowther, who is on a mission to educate parents on healthy alternatives to the calorie-laden convenience food. “The trouble is that manufacturers often add extra sugar to compensate for the low-fat or vice versa for sugar-free.”
The Getting Kids Off the SoFAS infographic highlights the dangers of SoFAS as well as the startling statistics about the current state of children’s health. It also gives parents a comprehensive food list with recommended substitutes for the most common SoFAS foods.
Take the grain desserts that are a staple in school lunches as an example. Made with refined grains, these empty calorie treats are associated with insulin resistance, a contributing factor to type 2 diabetes. The infographic recommends serving healthy homemade versions with added nutrition, like spinach brownies.
“We understand that parents are busy, often balancing working with shuttling kids to lessons and after school activities,” says Lowther who regularly serves healthy dinners in her mini van. “But grabbing a handful of veggies, hard boiled eggs, almonds, cut up fruit or a homemade oatmeal packet is just as easy as grabbing store bought granola bars but so much healthier.”
Thankfully, IronKids Gummy Vitamins for kids contain only 1.5 grams of sugar per gummy and no fat. Plus the all-natural, fruit-flavored gummies are packed full of the vitamins kids need for their growing bodies and nothing else – no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.
For more healthy snacks and school lunch ideas, check out the IronKids blog at http://www.iron-kids.com!
About Life Science Nutritionals
Founded in 2005 by health and nutrition expert, Stuart Lowther, Life Science Nutritionals specializes the manufacture of premium quality gummy vitamins for kids and adults, under the trade names IronKids and Adult Essentials.
Life Science Nutritionals is Canada’s leader in gummy vitamin manufacturing, sales and distribution, winning numerous consumer and parent choice awards, including the Best New Product Award and the Parent Tested, Parent Approved Award.
Deborah Lowther, Life Science Nutritionals, http://iron-kids.com, +1 (905) 320-0681, [email protected]
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