Date: 7/14/06 Author: Shane Ellison, M.Sc. Source: HealthMyths.net

Children and the Metabolic Nightmare
By Shane Ellison, M.Sc.
www.healthmyths.net © 2006

Every loving parent wants the best for their children. We want them to have the best education. We want them to have the best lifestyle. And we want them to have the best future. As a father of two, I know this first hand. I also know that before any child attains the best of anything they must first attain the best of health. Sadly, this is an obstacle for most due to excess sugar use.

When sugar is consumed, the body responds by releasing mass amounts of the fat-storing hormone insulin. The insulin spike sets the stage for a metabolic nightmare. The brain says eat, eat, eat and the body says store, store, store. Raging appetite (seen as a tantrum) and obesity are the outcome. But that's not all.

Courtesy of the metabolic nightmare, the health of U.S. children is worse in virtually every category relative to children in other industrialized countries. The biggest threat: Type II diabetes. In 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association predicted that one in three children born in the year 2000 will suffer from this "sugar-eating" illness. The prediction is becoming a harsh reality.

In the last 4 years, the number of American children and teens taking prescription drugs for type II diabetes has increased two-fold - the fastest increase in prescription drug history! This wanton drug use has done nothing to curb the epidemic. These children are now faced with the debilitating symptoms of type II diabetes. Their entire lives will be encumbered by depression, heart disease, stroke and even cancer. It doesn't have to be like this.

Avoiding obesity and type II diabetes requires the avoidance of sugar. This is not as easy as you might think. The term sugar refers to a long list of dangerous additives that have infiltrated our food supply. They are sucrose, glucose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, maltodextrin, galactose, corn syrup, dextrin, beet sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, concentrated fruit juice, syrup, sorghum, honey, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed proteins and milk sugars such as lactose and maltose. Artificial flavors must be avoided too. Studies are showing that they too induce over-eating and fat storage.

Parents must be vigilant about reading labels and eliminating the aforementioned sugars from our children's diet. If done, the best things in life await. The metabolic nightmare of type II diabetes will be nothing more than a bad dream.

Note: As summer approaches, fresh squeezed lemon juice in purified water flavored with "NuNaturals Stevia Extract" is a healthy alternative to sugary juice and soda.

About the Author: Shane is an organic chemist and internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition. He is author of Health Myths Exposed and Hidden Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Get 6-months of his FREE Life Saving Health Briefs at www.healthmyths.net!