Lowfat Diets No Good for Kids

A recent study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln indicates that children who eat low fat or nonfat products are missing essential vitamins like vitamin E and vitamin C.

“Parents are eating a lot of lowfat and nonfat products, and we’re finding they also give their children such things as skim milk,” Driskell said. “The lowfat diet is probably associated with their being low in vitamin E.”

Their findings were that children’s blood values were low but not low enough to have deficiency symptoms. They were only at the point at which children needed to be treated with vitamins or food.

Parents stated that they tended to give their children lower fat foods. Instead they should be feeding whole milk, nuts and seeds, regular salad dressings, whole grain cereals in order to get all the vitamins children need. Additionally, children should get regular amounts of fruits and vegetables.

However, many parents (and doctors) are more concerned with childhood obesity, not vitamin deficiency.