March 31, 1998 - Teen Focus on No-meat Diets Causing Health Crisis, Nutritionist Warns

by Dan Murphy

A new book unveils a problem many nutritionists don't want to talk about: Kids so obsessed with their weight that they refuse to eat meat, and thus miss out on vital nutrients.

That's one of the key points in "Afraid to Eat: Children and Teens in Weight Crisis," by Frances M. Berg. A licensed nutritionist and adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Berg pulls no punches in her book about a generation of children whose obsession with losing weight may place their health in jeopardy.

"That kids are missing out on meat is serious problem that should be of concern to nutritionists, pediatricians and health policy-makers," Berg writes. "But it's largely being ignored."

Why? "Too many nutritionists, primarily women, are themselves concerned with weight loss and in many cases, overly influenced by the vegetarian gospel of animal rights groups," Berg told MM&T. "A lot of nutritionists have a fear of fat, and they are convinced that meat and milk are unhealthy, high-fat foods."

Berg offered a mild criticism of the latest National Cattlemen's Beef Association-funded advertising campaign, "Beef: It's What You Want." She said the message suggests that meat tastes good, but may not be all that healthful.

"The ads imply that you want to enjoy the taste of beef even thought it may not be that good for you," she said. "I would prefer to see more emphasis on the health benefits of meat."

Berg, who is editor of the "Healthy Weight Journal," said that her research shows that among teen-aged girls in the United States:

* Two-thirds have abnormal eating behaviors.

* One-half are severely undernourished.

* One-fifth are overweight.

* One-tenth have potentially fatal eating disorders.

Although meat provides a source of iron and zinc, most teen-aged girls consume less than two-thirds of the iron and zinc they need, Berg noted.

What's next on the nutrition horizon? Berg said that teen-aged boys are now beginning to fall into the trap of nutritional misconceptions.

"More boys are now being reported to have eating disorders," she said. "Those problems used to be primarily associated with girls. Not any more."

To obtain a copy of the book, contact Berg at 701/567-2646 or visit her group's Web site at:Healthy Weight Network.

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing & Technology.

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