All that fat from instant food

CHENNAI: Relieved at seeing your child eat his snack – frozen smileys and chicken kebab re-fried in oil? Don’t be! What your children eat could make them obese, and potentially put them at risk of getting diabetes and hypertension at a very young age, and even cancer when they grow older.

Yes, in addition to the lifestyle diseases they could get, the diet they are used to while growing up can cause cancer in the long run, opine medical professionals.

People don’t realise that consumption of these seemingly harmless instant foods such as noodles, frozen smileys, fries, meat items etc., could cause various types of cancer, they say, as colouring agents, dyes, emulsifiers, preservatives and other ingredients are used in ready-to-eat can contain toxic elements.

Taste Enhancers: 

Rajeshwari’s three-year-old son refuses to eat vegetables and fruits, even though doctors have advised her to give him more fibre-based diet.

“He has been consuming a lot of ready-to-eat snacks and noodles lately. So he has put on a lot of weight in the last 6-8 months. Since he developed a taste for junk food, he doesn’t eat vegetables or even nuts. I’ve even tried new recipes at home but he insists on eating these food items from outside,” rues Rajeshwari.

Children love instant foods as the latter contains taste enhancers to improve the texture, flavour and aroma of the food, and also high levels of unhealthy fats, sodium, refined sugars, and preservatives. These components, when consumed regularly, can lead to obesity, hypertension, and metabolic disorders, paving the way for a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer.

“Because of the use of chemicals, a lot of natural ingredients in the food such as vitamins and minerals are lost. The fibre content also would automatically reduce. Consuming this for a long time can make your kids obese, and diabetic very early in life,” says Dr MS Pushkala, consultant paediatrician, Kauvery Hospital. “It not only leads to vitamin and protein deficiency, there’s also the risk of heart disease and 10 times higher risk of cancer development later in life.”

Children as young as 2 and 3 years have had issues with constipation, due to the consumption of processed food.

“Many kids skip breakfast if they are not served what they see in advertisements. Ads influence the food choices. Plus, physical activity reduces when they grow older due to academic pressure,” points out Dr Pushkala.

Obesity Prevalence:

While the choice of food is a major factor contributing towards childhood obesity, the lack of physical activities is another contributing factor. Pandemic has led to a surge in childhood obesity, due to an in- creased use of mobile phones and TV.

“Kids are not physically active. After school, children even in classes 2 and 3 have tuition sessions that go on for hours. There’s no time for physical education classes. Combined with unhealthy food choices, they become obese. And, if obesity is ge- netic, the food choices have to be monitored very closely at an ear- ly age,” she adds.

Obesity has gone up in adults too, and their food choices can impact children as well. Obesity can hamper the overall develop- ment of children. “For children within the age of 12-16 years, it’s more important to focus on ho- listic health as their bodies go through hormonal changes.

Add obesity to this, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Obese kids are subjected to bullying and ridicule by their peers, which leads to several mental health issues,” elaborates Dr Madhuri Prabu, consultant paediatrician and neo- natologist, Motherhood Hospital.

Additionally, obesity can hasten the age of puberty. In the last decade or so, the age of puberty has started at eight years in some children and this is a cause of con- cern. Children are not prepared for such changes, physically and mentally.

Diet and Cancer: 

Several studies have consistently proved that a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can re- duce the likelihood of developing cancer.

Conversely, diets based on processed and unhealthy foods have also been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Dr MA Raja, senior consultant medical oncology, director of oncology services, MGM Healthcare, states that artificial fla-vourings, colourings, and preserva- tives in processed foods have beenidentified as potential carcinogens.

They’re also associated with DNA damage and inflammation, both of which are implicated in cancer de- velopment in many studies. “The impact is severe in children as they are in the developing stage. High intake of sodium (prevalent in many instant foods and those sold in hotels) has been linked to an in- creased risk of stomach cancer. Ex- cessive sodium consumed over a period of time can lead to chronic inflammation of the stomach lin- ing, a condition known as gastritis, which can progress to more severe complications over time,” he says.

Dr Raja adds that certain artifi- cial colourings, such as Red 40 and Yellow 6, have been linked to an in- creased risk of tumours, particular- ly in animal studies. “Although more research is needed to estab- lish a direct link in humans, par- ents must limit their child’s con- sumption of such additives. To re- duce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases in children, they must prioritise home-cooked meals made from fresh, whole ingredi- ents,” he opines.

Role of Parents: 

Dr Vijayakumar T, paediatrician, Prashanth Hospital, says consump- tion of junk, and processed food with a high salt diet damages inter- nal organs and the immune system. “Kids are exposed to high-calorie diets and regularly consume high salt proteins. Right from birth, they’re exposed to high-calorie di- ets like formula food instead of hvaing breast milk.

When they start consuming a solid diet, make sure to feed them healthy and natu- ral food,” he adds. It’s the responsibility of the par- ents to ensure their children prac- tice a healthy lifestyle. “Even the food stored in the refrigerator, la- belled as processed or instant food, will definitely have added chemi- cals or preservatives which kids or adults should not consume.

It may contain cancer-causing chemicals that can alter certain things leading to severe lifestyle diseases in the long run," states Dr Vijayakumar.