Trans fats decrease the cholesterol that clears your blood vessels and increase the cholesterol that clogs your blood vessels. Consequently, cutting trans fats from children's diets is an effective way to improve their long-term health. Many foods that children enjoy might contain trans fats, so you must be vigilant while food shopping and while eating out to ensure that your children's diets remain healthy.
Significance
Children typically don't have to worry about cardiovascular health while they're young. But bad dietary habits that start in their early years can stay with them, increasing their risk for serious health problems later. People who have diets high in trans fats face an increased risk of clogged blood vessels due to the negative effects trans fats have on the body's cholesterol levels. The more clogged blood vessels are, the harder the heart has to pump to push blood through them. The end result is an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, heart attack, heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
Expert Insight
Cardiovascular problems that result from eating a diet high in trans fats might not manifest until children are adults. But children who eat many foods high in trans fats can expect to get heart disease earlier than children who eat healthy diets, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The center's research has found that children as young as 8 years old can have measurable amounts of the types of cholesterol and blood fats that lead to clogged arteries.
Types
Foods that children typically favor often are high in trans fats. For example, commercially baked products often contain trans fats, which manufacturers add to improve the texture, taste and shelf life of cookies, crackers, cakes, cake icing, biscuits, doughnuts, muffins and similar products. Fried fast foods often are high in trans fats as well, so you should avoid feeding your children fried chicken, fish and potatoes. Other typical "kid" foods to watch out for include toaster pastries, fish sticks, microwave popcorn, pizzas, fruit pies, chips and dips.
Recommendations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires food manufacturers to report how much trans fats their products contain. Control your children's consumption of unhealthy trans fats by checking nutrition labels carefully while food shopping and choosing healthy items instead. Give your children fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products and other healthy foods to replace the unhealthy foods you eliminate from their diet.
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