The perfect recipe for a successful infant nutrition remains one of the major challenges for the dietitians and specialists in nutrition. It is also a subject that generates a great deal of debate, and on which it is often difficult to reach a consensus between opposing viewpoints. There are many experts offering different advice, and it is not easy to know which is the best approach.
Two reports have recently been made public which, far removed from all this controversy, provide some highly interesting data on nutrition in the early stages of life. We would like to share these comprehensive studies with you – both of which are based on statistical data and scientific evidence – in the hope that they will help you make better decisions. You can never have too much information when it comes to planning your children’s diet, and a better understanding of the measures currently being taken by public institutions can be very useful.
The FAROS Report: proposals for infant feeding
The first study we’d like to tell you about is the 10th FAROS Report, which was presented last Wednesday, 26 October, in the Auditorium of the Teaching Block at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, by HEADLIGHTS, a digital platform for promoting children’s health and wellbeing. This platform also incorporates the hospital’s Observatory on Child and Adolescent Health. Its report was published under the title “A guide to healthy and balanced nutrition for children. Answering questions, dispelling myths and clarifying concepts”, and offers some advice on nutrition for the youngest members of the family.
As is customary, the report discussed the need to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables –only 2% of children eat the recommended amounts of vegetables and 20% eat the recommended amounts of fruit– and the importance of eating fish several times a week. He also provided statistics on the consumption patterns of families during dinner. Information was provided on the usual times for dinner and on how many members of the family They all have dinner at the same time – apparently, many family members eat at a different time to the rest. It was even mentioned that as many as 30% of those surveyed use mealtimes to watch television or look at their mobile phones.
New trends in nutrition under discussion
On this occasion, however, particular emphasis was placed on breaking with the new trends which are emerging in relation to infant feeding: there is the false belief that the gluten-free diets, milk or meat can be helpful in maintaining a healthy diet. However, unless there is a clinical diagnosis advising otherwise, lactose is important for calcium absorption. As for vegan diets, it is possible to follow them, but children can sometimes struggle to obtain the necessary amount of vitamin B12. Finally, with regard to gluten, it is perfectly healthy for people who do not have coeliac disease.
The 2015 ALADINO Study: reducing overweight and obesity
The Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN), together with the Nutrition and Obesity Research Centre (NAOS) were presented on 7 November at the State Secretariat for Culture, as part of the 10th NAOS Convention 2016, the “Surveillance Study on Growth, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Child Development and Obesity in Spain. 2015”, better known as ALADINO Studio. 
This report, in which more than 10,000 schoolchildren aged between 6 and 9 took part, shows that over the last 4 years, the excess weight –which includes both the overweight such as the obesity– in these age groups, it has fallen from 44.5% to 41.3%. This is good news, as it means that the proportion of children with a weight considered healthy has increased by 3.2 percentage points. However, the technical secretary of the Nutrition Observatory, Napoleón Pérez, has made it clear that “we cannot afford to relax” and that we must continue to build on this momentum.
During the presentation, there was discussion of the the importance of parents’ economic and educational status, as families on lower incomes – up to 18,000 euros gross per annum – have a higher percentage of children with obesity (54.8%) whilst families with higher incomes – from 30,000 euros gross per annum upwards – have a lower percentage (22.6%). There has also been discussion about the the importance of taking part in all kinds of physical activities and sports. And the fact that consuming Spending many hours of leisure time watching television, using a computer or playing video games is associated with the prevalence of obesity. This is particularly true for children who have such devices in their bedrooms.
For further information, please refer to the full version of the Aladino Study 2015 on their website or download it as a PDF.