400 calories at breakfast and 600-600 the rest of the day, the British proposal against obesity
It has become one of the great problems of the 21st century, the obesity It is a big problem that society is fighting against. An issue that affects new generations before the proliferation of a more sedentary lifestyle and marked by the presence of junk food. It is not surprising, therefore, that government entities take action in the matter to raise awareness against overweight.
An example is the commitment of the English government to have a healthy daily menu. A proposal in which he suggests starting the day with a breakfast of 400 calories and distribute another 1,200 throughout the day. A guide for families to control what is put on the table every day and reduce by 20% the amount of calories consumed at home.
Distribution of calories
The plan proposed by the English government suggests starting the day with a breakfast consisting of 400 calories and distribute the remaining 1,200 in the following meals. In this second point you have to divide on the one hand a small meal at mid-morning and lunch, and on the other the snack and dinner. In total the person would ingest 1.600, which at the same time has caused some criticism of this system
For example, in the case of active children, it is not adjusted to the needs of their bodies since, according to the Spanish Pediatric Association, between 2,000 and 2,150 are needed. These criticisms point out that far from helping to reduce obesity, this proposal would contribute to a greater appetite sensation in the minors and therefore to an even higher intake.
For its part, the Public Health England notes that the intention is to reduce the number of calories ingested in the day to day of the kids. Therefore, the maximum of 1,600 daily calories is marked, for cases where there is already a problem of overweight and in which the need to control what is put on the table of the smallest is evident.
Recommendations of the AEP
The Public Health England. AEP also offers a series of tips for to distribute the menu for the little ones at home:
- The dietetic distribution of preschool and school children throughout the day should be divided into 5 meals, 25% of them must correspond to breakfast (mid-morning meal is included), 30% to lunch, between 15 and 20% at snack and 25-30% at dinner.
- Avoid intakes between hours.
- The caloric distribution should be between 50 and 55% of carbohydrates (mainly complex and less than 10% of refined), 30-35% of fats (with balance between animal and vegetable fats) and a 15 % of proteins of animal and vegetable origin 50%.
- Establish a schedule, a place for different meals and simple rules of behavior, an example is the absence of smartphones and other elements that distract on the table.
Damián Montero
