Childhood
Obesity Epidemic
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The number of overweight children aged 6-11 has more than
doubled in the past 20 years. Current estimates show that
32 percent of U.S. children are overweight, while 16 percent
are obese.
Parents
are struggling to control and prevent their children from
becoming yet another statistic in the obesity/diabetes epidemic.
Researchers
are now predicting that one of every two children will develop
Type 2 diabetes because of excess weight, which raises the
probability that they will die as much as 20 years younger
than their parents.
Children
in the United States are completely surrounded by fattening
foods and beverages. Even infant formulas contain added sugar,
so from birth, children are ingesting ingredients that increase
the size of fat cells and trigger fat cells to increase in
number.
The
creation of an abundance of fat cells in children makes it
almost impossible for that child to maintain normal weight
or to lose weight as the child grows. By age 18, the stage
has already been set for a child to be slim or obese.
Sensory
Optimization and Physiochemical
Properties of Kid Friendly ™
Low
Glycemic Frozen Desserts
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PROJECT
To
develop Low Glycemic, Non-Cephalic ice cream and frozen desserts
with the same physicochemical properties and sensory qualities
of sucrose-sweetened ice cream, and ice cream produced with
chemical sweeteners.
Over
a 5-year period, Human In Vivo Clinical Trials were conduced
on KIDFRIENDLY™ ice cream to quantify the biochemical
and metabolic properties of Low Glycemic, Non-Cephalic frozen
desserts in children and adults.
Sugars
and sweeteners, despite the caloric or carbohydrate content,
are capable of high glycemic reactions on blood glucose and
insulin levels. Sweeteners previously believed to have a glycemic
response of zero have recently been proven to have definite
glycemic properties. Most sugars/sweeteners trigger both Cephalic
and Glycemic responses.
The
Cephalic Response of a food or beverage is directly related
to fat-storing, obesity and diabetes in humans. The Cephalic
Response of diet colas/sodas is linked to weight gain, even
more profoundly than regular sugar-laden sodas/colas (SkinnyScience.com).
In
order to produce Low Glycemic, Non-Cephalic natural frozen
desserts, a natural base must be formulated with specific
properties that correspond with the mouth-feel and sensory
properties of typical ice cream products.
DEVELOPING
AN ACCEPTABLE “BASE”
Said
base was developed by glycemic researchers beginning in 1997.
The properties of a frozen dessert base acceptable for children
had to meet a variety of biochemical properties as related
to childhood fat cell size and replication, blood glucose
levels, insulinogenic response, obesity index, and diabetes
index. The base also had to maintain a “natural”
profile and match freezing curves required in the production
of ice cream products.
The
KID FRIENDLY™ novel frozen dessert base (Sweet Infused
Fruits ™) was perfected and utilized in the clinical
trials conducted.
RESULTS
Sweet
taste and sweetness profiles of the base were optimized for
frozen desserts, and the resulting ice cream products were
tested in children for Taste Approval. In the clinical trials,
all children reported that the KID FRIENDLY ice cream was
“Equal to, or better than, the best ice cream they had
ever eaten.”
BENEFITS
Low
Glycemic foods and diets are linked to weight control, health
benefits, reduction of type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance.
High Glycemic foods and diets are associated with heart disease,
obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The
Cephalic Index is also referred to as “Brain Glycemic
Indexing” as the glycemic excursions evidenced by ingestion
of High Cephalic foods are even higher than those related
to ingestion of High Glycemic foods.
Sweet
treats are integrated into our society and denial of treats
feels like punishment to a child.
Providing
diabetic and non-diabetic children with Low Glycemic, Non-Cephalic
frozen desserts allows sweet treats to be enjoyed by the entire
family without attendant guilt.
KID
FRIENDLY™ researchers have also developed chocolate
candy, gummy bears, and candies that meet the same guidelines
as the frozen desserts.
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