Physician at GPM Pediatrics discusses new effective nutrition program for children

May 15 2014

Dr. Michael Gabriel of GPM Pediatrics, a Staten Island Pediatrics Center, comments on a new study that claims it has found a way to get children to eat more fruits and vegetables in school.

An article published on Sciencedaily.com discusses why kids in their study are eating more fruits and vegetables in school than in the past. Researchers focused on two California school districts and 4 different elementary schools. Two schools were controlled while two schools were not. Researchers looked at BMI, knowledge of nutrition, and dietary intake. The simple approach to the program was a promotional aspect of fruits and vegetables rather than condemning sugary and fatty foods. This research was based on the fact that kids will adopt positive messages more than restrictive messages.

The research found that children who participated in the study dropped their BMI index 9 points and increased their vegetable intake by 40 percent. In addition, children increased their knowledge of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables while students who did not participate in the study had no change. Researchers did not expect the results to be this positive in just a year.

Dr Michael Gabriel of GPM Pediatrics says that this study is encouraging for the future and that this system should be adopted throughout the U.S. "Although I would like to see more research conducted, this is a positive step in the better nutrition of our children." Dr. Gabriel says he has been waiting for research like this so that schools can adopt better program.

"Schools have been pushing sugary foods out for years but have failed to promote fruits and vegetables. Everyone was so focused on the negative aspects of unhealthy foods, rather than the positives of healthy" Gabriel explains. "It was really just a simple marketing issue that could have been easily solved; luckily research proved that it is successful." The Staten Island Pediatrician says many children eat most of their meals at school and since some communities don't have full access to fresh produce, it is important for schools to provide it. "This program will not only improve the BMI of children, but their overall health as well."

SOURCE GPM Pediatrics