Creating a better future

Adequate nutrition during pregnancy, infancy and early childhood is fundamental
for child development; to be resistant to disease, to grow properly, to do well at
school. The importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle for children to reach their
full potential has been well recognised. Yet, effects of poor nutrition at young age
are more and more understood to have lifelong implications. Promotion of exclusive
breastfeeding from 0-6 months and continued breastfeeding with appropriate
complementary feeding for up to 2 years is probably one of the most cost-effective
nutrition habits to be endorsed1
. So to promote a healthy future during adult life,
programmes to enjoy healthy eating as well as physical play need to commence as
early as possible in life.
In this newsletter we describe the impact of nutrition on child development and
what Unilever undertakes to contribute to future health.
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Both
CHILD NUTRITION:
A LIFE-COURSE APPROACH TO FUTURE HEALTH
Creating
a better
future
Nutrition and child development
Undernutrition and stunted growth still is
a huge problem – 195 million children are
too short for their age1
- but once food is
available and affordable, food choice becomes
the main determinant of healthy growth and
development. In this transition phase, people
often develop unhealthy diet and lifestyle
habits resulting in nutrient deficiencies,
obesity or both, with children most affected.
Globally an estimated 42 million children
below five are overweight, many of which
are in developing countries2
. Public health
implications are substantial as these children
are more likely to grow into obese adults,
with associated higher risks of cardiovascular
disorders, metabolic syndrome and diabetes,
plus substantial psychological suffering3
.
There is convincing evidence that children
need adequate energy, protein, essential
fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins A and D,
zinc and calcium for normal growth. There
is also strong evidence that iodine, iron and
protein-energy balance play an essential role
in mental development. For omega-3 fatty
acids (DHA and ALA), vitamin B12, folate
and zinc, evidence is emerging. Deficits for
many of these nutrients exist. Iron and iodine
deficiencies are globally spread4
. Intakes of
essential fatty acids are commonly low in
children5
. Also children are simply not eating
enough fruit and vegetables; only 18% of
11-year old Europeans reached the
recommended WHO intake of 400 g/day6
.
1| http://www.childinfo.org/files/Tracking_Progress_on_Child_and_Maternal_Nutrition_EN.pdf
2| http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/index.html
3| http://www.fao.org/WAIRDOCS/WHO/AC911E/AC911E00.HTM
4| Black RE et al. Lancet 2008;371 :243-60
5| Koletzko B et al. Br J Nutr 2010 ;103 :923-8
6| Yngve A et al. Ann Nutr Metab 2005;49:236-45
International newsletter
for health experts
Edition November 2010
Unilever R&D
PO Box 114
3130 AC Vlaardingen
The Netherlands
Further information:
www.unilever.com

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HPC
7| Webber LS et al. Am J Epidemiol 1991;133 :884-99
8| Lauer RM and Clarke WR. JAMA 1990;264:3034-8
9| Berenson GS et al. NEJM 1998 ;338 :1650-6
10| Dötsch M Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2009;49:841–51
11| Zeinstra G PhD thesis. January 2010
12| http://www.who.int/vmnis/database/en/index.html
13| Osendarp SJ et al. AJCN 2007;86:1082-93
14| Muthayya S et al. AJCN 2009;89:1766-75
15| Andang’o PE et al. Lancet 2007;369:1799-806
16| www.unilever.com
To encourage children’s fruit and vegetable consumption
it may be helpful to11
:
1. ensure a pleasant eating context, prevent a negative atmosphere
2. serve as a role model and set a good example
3. be persistent and patient in offering children a variety of both
new and familiar foods
4. encourage children’s feeling of autonomy and prevent
reactance by offering choice
5. avoid the argument ‘it is healthy’ to persuade a child to eat
healthy foods that he/she does not like
6. make fruit and vegetables increasingly available, e.g. during
sports activities and parties, vegetables also outside dinner time
An overview of micronutrient deficiencies in different regions12
% of deficient children 0-5 yrs (vitamin A = children 6-12 yrs)
Life-course prevention
It is well recognised that the period from gestation
to two years of age, the first 1000 days, is a critical
window for the promotion of optimal growth,
health and behavioural development. In addition,
compelling evidence supports a life-course
approach to primary prevention of cardiovascular
diseases3
. For instance, 40-75% of children with
elevated total cholesterol in childhood persisted
with elevated levels in young adulthood7,8
. Fatty
streaks in the aorta were found in 50% of 2-15
year olds9
. Even an inadequate nutrient status of
the mother may lead to impaired organ function
of the foetus and reduced growth in height as well
as changes in metabolism3
.
Children’s diets
In addition to fruits and vegetables, cereals are
generally the first foods that are introduced to
the infants’ diet. Later on, when children join
the family dinner, an increase in salt intake is
commonly observed. This in turn may create a
preference for saltiness throughout life10
. Since
food preferences are an important determinant
of children’s food intake, it is essential to know
how food preferences are acquired and how they
can be changed. In the area of fruit and vegetable
intake, promotional strategies were recently
suggested. Quite some of these may also be
appropriate for stimulating intakes of other foods
contributing to a healthy diet.
Our commitment to a good start in life
Unilever contributes in different ways to give
children a good start in life:
1 Unilever started an extensive international
research programme to better understand the role
of nutrition in physical and mental development of
children and to help determine the benefits of key
nutrients for children’s growth and development.
For example, our research in Indonesia showed
improvements on verbal learning and memory
in well-nourished school-aged children through
micronutrients and DHA13
. Another study showed
Indian children grew more and performed
better on the cognitive tests than expected after
consumption of a protein-energy snack fortified
with omega-3 and micronutrients for one year14
.
Maize-flour fortified with the right type of iron
resulted in a 91% reduction of iron deficiency15
.
We furthermore support an endowed chair
on Micronutrients and International Health at
Wageningen University, The Netherlands, since
November 2006 for a period of five years.
2 Unilever has various fortified products on the
market, including margarines (Blue Band/Rama),
Annapurna iodised salt, Amaze fortified biscuits
and AdeS, a soy-based beverage.
3 To combat unhealthy eating habits from
developing in the first place, Unilever works
with different organisations and governments
on nutrition education such as the World Food
Programme and the World Heart Federation.
4 Our policy on marketing to children includes
such provisos that our advertisements will not
promote overeating and that products should be
represented in the context of a balanced diet and
a physically active lifestyle. We do not market to
children under the age of six and only products
that meet strict criteria for their nutritional quality
are marketed to children between the ages of
6 and 1216
.

Both
3
BothProfessor Kees de Graaf (Professor of Sensory
Science and Eating Behaviour at Wageningen
University, The Netherlands) is a renowned expert
in sensory monitoring and evaluation of food and
impacts on food choice.
Whereas newborns cannot detect salt, children
easily develop a preference for salty foods; how
can parents and (health) educators prevent this
from happening?
It is true that many food preferences are
determined in the first year of life, a period in
which children are open to new flavours. Baby
foods typically used to introduce solid foods, such
as preserved pureed vegetables, contain little
salt. Parents judge these foods as bland. So when
children are introduced to the family meals, they
more often adopt the food their parents eat than
parents adopting the low-salt meals recommended
for their toddlers. Consequently, their salt intake
increases. Getting parents to choose salt-reduced
options is tough, as salt boosts nice flavours and
masks less pleasant flavours. Most effective would
be if food industries manage to reduce the salt
levels without reducing the overall product liking.
However, this requires a cross-industry approach to
make it successful.
Children have a natural liking for sweetness and
sugar-based beverages; can this “sweet tooth” be
reduced by gradually reducing the sweetness of
these beverages?
I believe this is possible up to a certain extent. For
example, to halve the current sugar levels in soft
drinks to 5g/L would most likely be too radical for
consumers. Gradual reduction seems to be the way
forward and, again, this needs to be an action
across food industries. Sweetness is a very special
“signal”, it is actually the only preference present
at birth. To reverse such a preference is much more
difficult, noting that this research area is relatively
unexplored; we do not yet know what the actual
tipping point is for consumers not accepting
further sugar reductions.
Due to urbanization and the nutrition transition
in general, people in developing and emerging
economies are increasingly including less healthy,
western-type foods in their diet. What can be
done about it?
One clearly observes a large shift to products
which are relatively high energy-dense and low
in fibres. These are easy and quickly to consume,
giving instant satisfaction. No one likes the feeling
of being hungry; a feeling of satiety is much
more pleasant. Obviously, innovations typically
fulfil these characteristic consumer preferences
for instant satisfaction. To reverse this trend, we
will have to look at contemporary ways to design
products with a higher rewarding value for each
calorie delivered.
Snacks have become customary in the daily diet,
also for children. Not only to keep going between
meals, but also as a reward or treat. What can
food industries do to facilitate responsible
snacking?
Contrary to fruits and vegetables, energy-dense
foods that are quickly consumed give little sensory
stimulation per calorie ingested. With these foods
one can within half an hour match the energy
requirement of a full day. Yet, food is intrinsically
also about reward. Satisfaction that is generally
delivered by calories and sometimes caffeine or
alcohol. When products are optimised for their
nutritional content, it should not be at the cost
of enjoyment. Portion size and texture are to be
considered too, because the quicker you can eat a
food, the more you’ll eat of it. A nice challenge for
food industry to create smaller portions which are
eaten slower and provide longer-lasting satiety.
Interview

Prof. Kees de Graaf

Creating a better future

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