PULEVA: COMMITTED TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD OBESITY
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Dr. Jesús Jiménez; director of PULEVA BIOTECH, participated as both speaker and member of the round table on ‘The food industry and the fitness industry in the face of infant and juvenile obesity’ in which experts from different fields tried to incentivise children and youths to fight excess weight through healthy lifestyle habits.
Although it is true that there may exist in some cases a certain genetic "predisposition" to obesity, to encourage healthy habits and physical exercise amongst the littlest ones, as well as developing healthy eating habits amongst the very young (foods with a moderate fat and simple sugar content, high fibre content, food with low glycemic index...) can put a stop to the increase in infant obesity.
When it comes to food, we must bear in mind not just the nutritional value of the food, but also how these are metabolised as they should convey a greater feeling of satiety so that children feel fuller sooner.
To this effect, the food sector is creating new products that produce within the digestive system a slower gastric emptying and intestinal transit, thereby increasing the sensation of feeling full and limiting or reducing the absorption of fats, modifying the absorption profile of sugars and fats and their subsequent metabolisation.
“The challenge for the food industry is to develop products with lower rates of fat, sugar and salt, and an increase in something as important as the fibre content. Fibre helps to better digest fats, controlling weight as it does not contain any calories and making us feel fuller sooner" says Dr. Jesús Jiménez, director general of PULEVA BIOTECH “At PULEVA we already include fibre in our foods adapting the foods to children's tastes with natural products that help them to control their weight.”
PULEVA has developed a range of functional foods that enable the child to have a healthy and balanced diet. All these products form part of the brands PULEVA MAX: PULEVA MAX Energy+Growth, a milk enriched with vitamins and minerals and with a fat profile better adapted to the needs of a child and PULEVA MAX Defences, a fermented milk enriched with vitamins, minerals, with a fat profile better adapted to the needs of a child, but which also contains probiotic dairy ferments from maternal milk which enables the child to improve his or her immune system.
Different voices in the face of obesity
Other speakers also insisted on the importance of stopping the obesity problem. “It is the food industry's social responsibility to promote healthy lifestyle habits and encourage children and youths to practice sport: putting a stop to obesity is a fundamental task which we must include in our long-term business strategies" said Nuria Badía, from Nestlé, during her intervention in the UAM sessions.For her part, Dr. Montaña Cámara from the Taste and Health Foundation insisted on the importance of incorporating fruit and vegetables into the diet on a regular basis and consuming at least 400 gr/day. According to the doctor: “preventing cardiovascular alteration, stimulating the immune system and preventing the deterioration of age thanks to the antioxidants provided by the intake of fruit and vegetables is fundamental to the fight against obesity in children and adolescents.”.
The Fitness and Sports professionals remarked that Spanish children have very sedentary lifestyle habits which affect their development. In excess of 2 and a half hours television a day, videogames and other passive activities mean that children are not adopting healthy lifestyle habits from their earliest years. The benefits of practicing sport not only improve your health by improving blood circulation, cardiac rhythm and strengthening muscles and bones; practicing sport is also a basic element in the prevention of obesity and encouraging social relations between the young.
Committed to a reality
PULEVA carries out public activities relating to the promotion of healthy eating habits from childhood onwards, as well as encouraging the practice of sports "because as well as consuming healthy products, obesity is tackled with regular physical activity” indicates Dr. Jesús Jiménez, director general of PULEVA BIOTECH.Puleva works with different entities such as the ACB (Association of Basketball Clubs), the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, the Town Council of Madrid and the Spanish Agency for Food Safety in order to incentivise physical activity, stimulate healthy lifestyle habits and provide information about the positive effects on health of a balanced diet and regular physical activity.