Obese Children May Have Difficulty Adhering to Low-Carb Diet

Obese children may have difficulty adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet, according to a new study.

A low carbohydrate diet is one in which daily consumption of carbohydrates is limited or reduced, and fats and protein are increased. There are several types of low carbohydrate diets, but the most widely used low carbohydrate diet is the one advocated by Dr. Robert Atkins. The Atkins diet proposes that, in order to lose weight, one should adopt an eating style that radically departs from the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food pyramid. It proposes the elimination of most carbohydrates as a source of energy; in the place of carbohydrates, the diet advocates the significantly increased consumption of fats, including trans fats and hydrogenated oils.

Carbohydrates are the most common source of energy in the American diet. Bran, cereal, bread, potatoes and pasta all contain high amounts of carbohydrates. Eating carbohydrates result in the body's secretion of insulin. Insulin is a substance produced in the body to regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates.

In a new study, researchers randomly assigned 100 obese children 7-12 years-old to a low-carbohydrate diet, a reduced glycemic load diet or a standard portion controlled diet for three months. All children participated in weekly dietary counseling and biweekly exercise. Various outcome measures, including the child's ability to adhere to the diet, were evaluated before the study and after three, six and 12-months.

The researchers found that body mass index scores, percent body fat and waste circumference were significantly lower after three months for all diet groups. Results were maintained through the 12-month follow-up period. However, the authors noted adherence to the low-carbohydrate diet was significantly lower than the other diets.

The authors concluded that a low-carbohydrate diet may be effective; however, obese children may have more difficulty adhering to low-carbohydrate dietary guidelines than others.

In addition to low-carbohydrate diets, many other diets have been studied for their effects in obese children. There is evidence that a macrobiotic diet may lead to reduced body size and obesity and increased leanness in preschool children compared to children on a normal diet. However, studies are needed to determine whether or not these changes contribute to good health in children.

For information about integrative therapies for weight loss in children, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

For more information about a low-carbohydrate diet, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness Database.

Comments

[ks]

Obesity in children is a rising concern in America. It is very important to teach children of the importance of eating healthy at a young age to prevent many health complications in the future. It makes sense that children would have a hard time adhering to a low-carb diet, since as this article states in the beginning, carbs are everywhere! From cereal and bread to pasta and potatoes. I know I eat a lot of those foods on a weekly basis and I’m sure kids do too. I think the most important thing in maintaining a healthy diet is moderation and exercise.

[MW]

I can imagine it being hard for any child to stick to a diet, especially the one's studied here, 7-12 year olds. My mom used to be on the atkins/low carb diet. It is a very hard one to follow many of the foods most people are used to eating cannot be consumed any more. It would be extremely hard for any child, or person for that matter, to stick to a low carb diet. Most diets aren't worth following, the reason being is they all boil down to calories in vs. calories out. It is the oldest concept in the book and diets just dress up this concept with little gizmos like being "low carb". No matter what if you burn more calories than you consume weight loss will ensue.

[Empire Bakuba]

Difficulty remaining compliant to a low carb diet may also be attributed to the school's cafeteria. Are the schools doing their part and restricting high carb meals? How can parents monitor and control everything their children eat?

[John]

The reason that children cannot stick to diets is that there are so many junk food/convenience food options, compared to 50 years ago, that children are overwhelmed by food choices. They must be instructed early in life about what foods are good/bad, given appropriate foods so that habits develop, and, also, examples set by parents are probably the most important. It does not help that carbohydrates are the least expensive foodstuff on the planet, and are possibly the worst. Obesity is the leading cause of Type 2 diabetes. The incidence of diabetes in the United States in 2010 was estimated at 25.8 million people (8.3% of the population) and is projected to increase dramatically in the coming years. The food that we eat today has long-lasting impacts on our future health. Remember when children played outside all day instead of playing videogames?

[JW]

I believe if I did not read any of the above comments, my reaction to this study would be similar to that of the anonymous post. Atdkins iet in children, are you kidding me!?! Excessive carbohydrates are not ideal, however, severely limiting them especially in children seems far from ideal and a bit ridiculous. Especially in diabetis, the common phrase that I have heard from many nutritionists is "It is not that you cannot eat carbs, it is the importance of portion size during meals and snacks because your body needs carbohydrates or energy". I think if child is overweight diet and exercise is important. The best option may be to see a dietician during this weight loss process. The dietician can teach the family about important information about food, portion size, and decreasing calorie intake. A food diary may be a good option for kids as well or a change in more healthier foods other than constant junk and fast food.

[Marina]

I agree Alyssia. Some studies seem to get caught up in numbers, but when looking at them, you wonder, is this 'significant' value really going to help people live healthier? I don't want to sound negative: many studies do discover or confirm important knowledge that helps people make the right decisions. But I am not sure about study in particular. I am worried about the safety of the Atkin's diet for kids.

[Virginia]

That is a very good point Alyssia. Results were in seen in all diet groups and I'm sure any child that is on some kind of reduced caloric intake would see weight loss.

[Jennelle]

I find this topic really fascinating and a bit controversial.

Thinking more about the issue, I feel the need to reiterate my previous commentary expressing skepticism of the Atkins diet. Obviously obese children would benefit from weight loss, but something about a child dieting in this manner makes me shudder.

Alternatively, I definitely agree with the comment about the “old school” way of thinking – I think extracurricular activity and avoidance of junk food are perfectly reasonable, sound recommendations for weight loss in children.

[Alyssia]

Marina, you bring up a good point about looking into the clinical effects of the weight loss. I wonder what that would have looked like. It's amazing how things can be touted as "significant", but if it isn't clinically significant, then where does that leave us? Is it even important?

[Virginia]

I think the focus with obese children should be how to live healthy with a normal diet and exercise. It seems like the low carb diet might be too extreme for these children. I think further research should be done on the effects and ability to maintain a "normal" diet plus exercise.

[Marina]

This study found that "body mass index scores, percent body fat and waste circumference were significantly lower after three months for all diet groups." Had this study looked into the clinical significance of this weight loss? Was the kids' quality of life impacted by the type of diet they were assigned to? I am also wondering if it is safe for children 7-12 years old to be on the Atkins diet, considering they are growing and have higher nutritional needs than adults?

[Anonymous]

The Atkins diet for children? Well, the Atkins diet is not right for everyone. If a child has a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia for instance, then the Atkins diet might be reconsidered as an option. I might be old school in my way of thinking, but if I had to recommend an option for obese children, I'd recommend engaging in extracurricular activities such as, playing a sport or even limiting junk-food from the current diet. Also, carbohydrates are essential for brain functioning for all age groups. As a child develops, it may be important to supply them with all nutrients to aid in their growing processes. Supplying them with the recommended nutrition their bodies need may also benefit their health in the long-run.

[The pianist]

"obese children may have more difficulty adhering to low-carbohydrate dietary guidelines than others", I think it is because they are adapted into their normal diet, it is very hard to change the diet style, not necessary only low-carb. I think it's very hard to change someone's taste of food, especially children. So I think the study should focus on how to change them to low-carb or more healthy diet.

[Jennelle]

I have to admit I can never fully wrap my mind around the usefulness of the Atkins diet as it seems we get such conflicting messages from the news and media. One day, it it touted and acclaimed as some revolutionary, magical solution, and the next day, we're told to avoid it like the proverbial plague.

From a clinical standpoint, the Atkins diet actually receives a grade of "B" for level of scientific evidence supporting its use, and many patients do indeed benefit from the diet.

However, due to the dietary limitations of the Atkins diet, I am quite wary of its use among growing children. I'm certainly no expert on either nutrition or children, but I do think it's incredibly important for children to have a well-rounded diet, especially in their formative years. So, I am a tiny bit skeptical about severely limiting such an important nutrient.

[Alyssia]

The part in this article that stood out to me was that results were seen for all diet groups. This just shows that reducing caloric intake is what is at the core of losing weight. I wonder if the low-carb diet was more difficult to adhere to for children because of differences in taste preferences between adults and children.