“Children need a lot of nourishing foods to provide them with all of the important nutrients for growth,” says integrative physician Elson M. Haas, MD. But currently 32 percent of U.S. schoolchildren are overweight or obese. “The rates of obesity in children are so hugely high that without any further increases, the impact of this epidemic will be felt with increasing severity for many years to come,” says David Ludwig, MD, PhD, who directs the childhood obesity program at Children’s Hospital in Boston.
How to make sure kids get the nutrition they need—without putting on extra pounds? “As insurance to prevent nutrient deficiencies, many parents want their children to take some supplements,” says Dr. Haas. Chewables are popular, particularly among younger kids, but as they grow older, youngsters accept capsules and tablets, as well as powdered formulas added to foods.

Nutrition and Learning
“Children who eat vegetables, oily fish, nuts, and seeds do best in school,” says nutritionist Patrick Holford. The best foods for behavior are fruits and vegetables—those children eating the most of both are much more likely to be well behaved than those whose diets are high in fried or take-out foods.
A good breakfast—whole-grain (instead of sugary) cereal, some protein (like eggs), and a few nuts or seeds—can give youngsters heading off to school the kind of sustained energy they need for learning.
Optimum nutrition also helps “children discover, or recover, their full potential,” Holford adds. For example, University of Michigan researchers linked iron deficiency in infancy with poor intelligence test scores up to 19 years later. Randomized controlled trials in the U.K. find that kids with coordination problems (often an early sign of learning difficulties) improved significantly in reading and spelling (as well as behavior) after taking omega-rich fatty acid supplements for three months. For nutritional needs at different ages, clip and save the chart on the following pages.

Don’t Forget Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle also impacts behavior and the ability to learn. Studies show that children who are moderately to vigorously active physically exhibit improved concentration, creativity, learning, memory, and problem-solving for up to two hours after exercising. Physical activity is also an important way to prevent and alleviate obesity.
Today a growing number of communities are encouraging youngsters to bike or walk to school. In 2005 Congress allocated $612 million for a five-year program to create safer school routes. Often pressed for time to work out, parents can benefit by cycling or walking with their kids—it’s good for the environment, too!

To learn more, go to www.walktoschool-usa.org or www.walkingschoolbus.org.