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Children and Intermittent Fasting
pancakerunner
Posts: 6,137 Member
in Debate Club
Do you think parents should let their kids practice IF? I'm not sure where I stand on this tbh.
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Replies
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No.
Why not set a good example regarding everything in moderation, and being active as a family instead of getting them started early on fad diets?14 -
I have so many thoughts on this. In general I’d say no! Growing children do not need to restrict eating & nutrient intake; they’re building bones, muscles, their brains, etc.. I also don’t think it’s a good idea because I’m afraid it could lead to eating disorders- restricting calorie intake to lose weight or binge eating once the fast is over. This is not something that a pediatrician would recommend for a child & not a ton of research has been done on fasting in adults. I just don’t think it’s healthy at all in a child.
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If you mean "let them" in the sense that a child shouldn't be forced to eat breakfast (or another meal) if they have no appetite for it, sure. Why not? Barring medical conditions or other important considerations, I don't think children should be required to eat when they're not hungry.
If you mean "let them" in the sense that children will be exposed to a formal IF protocol and encouraged/required to follow it even if they're hungry and want to eat (in the sense that many adults practice it), no way.32 -
My daughter is 18 so I have no skin in this argument, just my own experience... I almost never ate breakfast after I started going to jr high (7th grade). I just don't function well if I eat anytime close to waking up. I also like to eat larger meals so 2 meals and a snack fits my patterns quite well.
The other side of that is the example of my daughter - she is like her mother and has reactive hypoglycemia so she basically has to eat several smallish meals during the day or she has BG crashes.
I guess where I'm going with this is it should be determined on an individual basis.8 -
Lot more variables than are they a child and doing intermittent fasting.
What is the child's age? What level of fasting / what kind of window? Is the child actually overweight and how much?
Like if someone wants to put their 5 year old who's underweight on alternate day fasting, the answer isn't just no, it is, "hello, child protective services?"
Is someone has a 17 year old who's morbidly obese and the teenager hates being forced to eat a bowl of sugar pops cereal every morning before school because of societal expectations, then ok, skip the cereal. In between those extremes, I'm going to have less committed levels of yes, no, maybe.10 -
Too many variables. I'd want to have a discussion first knowing the child's age, whether this is a religious choice, how they plan to break their fast, how long they intend to fast overall (ex, weeks vs months).
A nutritionist or pediatric conversation - which includes the child - wouldn't hurt.1 -
Something like family meals at 7 and 5, with lunch around noon or at school, which some would consider IF, I guess? Sure, why not, if that fits the schedule and the child is getting plenty to eat.
Something like an older child (like a teen) not eating breakfast due to personal preference? Again, sure, if the teen seems to be functioning well. I was to make my own breakfast at that age and skipped it since I wasn't hungry for much (and didn't like non cooked breakfasts or to get up any earlier than necessary -- have always hated cold cereal), and was fine.
5/2? No way, not for a child.
Encouraging fasting as a weight loss method? Nope, although cutting out snacking might be a reasonable approach to try if an overweight child was interested in it as an idea.3 -
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What is the difference between IF with an 8 hour feeding window, and skipping breakfast to start eating lunch at noon, and not eating after a dinner finished by 8? Does physiology care about labels?31 -
I'm not keen on anything that could potentially mess up a child's relationship with food. Fostering good habits, balance, and a healthy relationship with nutrition and exercise is the way to go.11
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magnusthenerd wrote: »
What is the difference between IF with an 8 hour feeding window, and skipping breakfast to start eating lunch at noon, and not eating after a dinner finished by 8? Does physiology care about labels?
This encapsulates perfectly why IF is faddish right now - it's not enough that someone intermittently doesn't eat.
Apparently, it has to be somehow more special or complex than that.
I won't eat until lunchtime today but have tried and failed to get a response to why simply skipping breakfast somehow can't qualify as one form of IF.
To answer the OP - simply too vague a question.
My kids are in their 20's and get to choose for themselves for example!
What form of IF? What age? Why do they want to do IF?
Pre-pubescent children I would say no, they are not just smaller versions of adults.
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You insisted on this point in other threads. Why? What exactly is the difference metabolically and physiologically?? Does intentionally calling it "Intermittent Fasting" change the outcome?16 -
Interesting question, OP. I’ve always hated breakfast - I just don’t have any appetite when I wake up, and I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember. My mum nagged me to eat before I went to school, trying all sorts - porridge, toast, cereals - and she gave up and left me to it when I got to my teens, which is about the same time I started skipping lunch. I’m now OMAD, only eating dinner at 6pm, which suits me fine - but it’s taken a long time for this to be ‘acceptable’ to others.
With my own children, I provided variety and options, but never nagged. Neither of them were ‘faddy’ eaters, but they resisted breakfast in particular (for which I obviously had some sympathy!). As a parent, I had read the studies about nutrition and educational attainment (breakfast eaters having better concentration levels), so I felt really guilty if I ‘let’ them skip breakfast before going to school because I was ‘sabotaging their education’... but both have a Masters degree (and my son should get his PhD this spring). They’re now in their 30’s, daughter eats 3 times a day, whilst my son prefers brunch and then dinner.
My daughter now has two little girls, one (the youngest, 18 months) particularly loves breakfast - fruits of all kinds, bagels, toast, porridge - the oldest (3 and a half) is given the same options/choices and I suspect would happily go without breakfast completely but is ‘encouraged’ to try some of what is offered (not nagged in the same way I was, but both mum and dad express concern if she doesn’t eat much). Both girls are energetic, health and happy.
I wonder how much of this is nature or nurture? I offer no absolute conclusions, I just think the debate is very interesting.2 -
I did make my kids eat breakfast before school thinking, rightly or wrongly, that children are not adults and their bodies need more frequent food.
There are studies linking education outcomes with breakfast.6 -
At 16 now, I let my kid eat wherever she wants except dinner where we sit down. My kid currently eats 2 meals a day and a couple of snacks. Which IMO is good right now because with no physical school, she's been at home all the time. She's introverted so she doesn't go out much and when she does it's not for a lot of physical activity other than walking. Consequently since she's not burning a lot of calories, how she's been eating isn't causing unneeded weight gain on her.
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Also "skipping breakfast" is not IF, it is just not eating breakfast.
Why not? In my experience, that's precisely what it was. I skipped breakfast -- or, more pendantically, I delayed breakfast until about noon. Then had my normal evening meal around 6 or 7, and didn't eat after 8 (which I never did anyway).
But I ultimately didn't like that, so I want back to 3M2S8:16^6.
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This is a somewhat touchy subject for me. In general, I think a better approach to healthy eating/exercise/lifestyle (especially for kids) is to emphasize what are the things we CAN do to lead a healthier life. Eat more of the healthier choices, less of the less healthy choices. Teach them more about recognizing hunger signals, and if they say they want something to eat--why is it they want something to eat. Are they truly hungry, or just bored? When you start telling kids what they CAN'T do (and this applies to all behavior), they're going to be more likely to want to do it. Sure, you could tell kids you CAN eat during these hours, but restricting the times they are allowed to eat just seems like telling them "no" about something. I'm not saying IF can't work for adults, but kids are still growing and I feel probably need to eat more regularly.
I was a bit overweight as a kid, and it always made me feel "less than" others. At age 14, I decided to do something about it. I got a diet book specifically for teenage girls from the library, and took the parts I liked from it to lose weight...which meant going on a 900-calorie a day diet. The advice in the book was that that was to last no more than 2 weeks, but I decided to do it long-term (FYI, this book was probably written in the late 80's).
Well, of course we all know that wasn't ideal at all, especially for a growing person. I then realized I wanted to be even skinnier (my goal was 100 lb at 5'6 so I could look like Kate Moss), and went down to 500 calories a day. That meant no eating breakfast, and then no eating breakfast or lunch. So, while some may disagree on terminology, that was fasting. I wasn't choosing not to eat because I just didn't like breakfast, it was to restrict my calories. How I ever managed to do well academically my sophomore year of high school, I'll never know. I do remember feeling tired and weak, though, and I sometimes wonder if I'd be a bit taller if I ate normally (I'm 5'8 now, so not short, but still). In any case, this pattern set up years and years of disordered eating--restrict/binge/attempt to purge.
My kids are on the chubbier side, and it's gotten more noticeable since remote learning. They see me lead a healthy example by choosing mostly healthy foods, exercising, but also enjoying small amounts of treats. I also don't buy a lot of processed foods or soda, and rarely buy juice. They're probably some of the few 9 and 11-year olds that don't drink soda or juice regularly--my son doesn't even really like juice. However, I remember what it was like to be a chubby kid, then teenager, so I'm trying to balance promoting healthy eating/exercising without criticizing. I wouldn't ever suggest IF to them, and if they brought it up on their own, I'd check in with their doctor in make sure they are doing it in a healthy way.
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pancakerunner wrote: »Do you think parents should let their kids practice IF? I'm not sure where I stand on this tbh.
Why not? We're not talking multi-day fasts here.
Don't many kids skip breakfast, which effectively qualifies them for Intermittent Fasting.
Also many religions practice more serious fasting to no ill effect; I understand they start pre-pubescent.
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Yes, they should.
I, along with many others in my generation, grew up with this. We ate breakfast at a set time, had lunch, and dinner at about 5pm. Occasionally a snack. You would see an overweight kid every now and then. We ate cookies, white bread, cakes, etc, we just had them with our meals as a dessert.
It also taught us patience. If you’re hungry just wait, dinner is coming soon so don’t spoil your appetite.
So, I think yes.0 -
staticsplit wrote: »I'm not keen on anything that could potentially mess up a child's relationship with food. Fostering good habits, balance, and a healthy relationship with nutrition and exercise is the way to go.
So much THIS💕
As someone who grew up with a mortifyingly whacked mother when it came to messages about food and body image (and therefore struggled for years with disordered eating) I strive everyday to be a good role model and educator to my young son about balance and health. Kids have enough pressure through friends and social media - they don’t need warped messages at home about dysfunctional food relationships as well.
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How do you figure? If my last meal is at 8 PM, and I don't eat breakfast or anything until noon I have fasted for 16 hours by..."skipping breakfast"...ie intermittent fasting where I'd eat all of my meals within the window of noon to 8 PM.
I have practiced it off and on...but it's definitely a fad.5 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
How do you figure? If my last meal is at 8 PM, and I don't eat breakfast or anything until noon I have fasted for 16 hours by..."skipping breakfast"...ie intermittent fasting where I'd eat all of my meals within the window of noon to 8 PM.
I have practiced it off and on...but it's definitely a fad.
Exactly. Just because one doesn’t formally name their way of eating as “IF”, a 16 hour period of not eating qualifies.
And nutritionists everywhere universally agree that children learn better when they have breakfast. I know of no society that encourages children to skip breakfast for reasons other than abject poverty. And there’s a reason breakfast programs were created in schools.
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pancakerunner wrote: »Do you think parents should let their kids practice IF? I'm not sure where I stand on this tbh.
I guess first we'd have to define "kids". I firmly believe in letting my kids make certain decisions for themselves and also living with the subsequent consequences (if any) of those decisions as I think it helps them grow and learn to be more independent. That said, my boys are 9 and 11 and in no way in any kind of position to make all (or even most) decisions for themselves and I don't believe in "free range" parenting. In regards to practicing IF, I'd say...does the kid even know what that is or what it means or why? My kids wouldn't have a clue.
I suppose for my kids it's also a moot point. They're growing and they're both very active, generally, and in sports and they're hungry pretty much 24/7. They're literally little disposals...so the notion of one of them not wanting to eat a meal would be pretty out there at this point. My kids' alarm goes off at the same time as mine and somehow by the time I'm actually out to the kitchen to get my coffee, my oldest is already dressed and making his eggs while my youngest is poring himself some Cheerios.
I also think back to my childhood, including my teen years...no way I was skipping any kind of meal or any kind of food that was coming my way for that matter, no matter what time of day. I was always hungry.
In general, I don't see much reason for kids to practice IF...they're growing and need nourishment. IF is generally a way of controlling calories via an eating window...and I just don't see the purpose for that in kids. If kids have a weight problem I would think it would be better to get them active and cut back on the sodas and cookies and candy that a lot of parents let their kids eat frequently for snacks and start working on some better overall nutrition.6 -
This gave me flashbacks to being forced to eat breakfast when I was a kid, and how awful it felt and was. I wasn't hungry. It made me nauseated on the bus. It created conflict with my parents where there didn't need to be any.
So basically, I think kids shouldn't be forced to eat. But I also think that kids should not be encouraged to have any real major restrictions in food quantity or timing and it shouldn't be a battleground.
If IF means 'kid doesn't eat breakfast' (or lunch or doesn't want a snack after dinner or whatever) cool. Leave them alone as long as their overall intake isn't suffering. if IF means 'I may not eat except these hours, no matter what, because WEIGHT LOSS/RULES - absolutely not.3 -
pancakerunner wrote: »Do you think parents should let their kids practice IF? I'm not sure where I stand on this tbh.
Why not? We're not talking multi-day fasts here.
Don't many kids skip breakfast, which effectively qualifies them for Intermittent Fasting.
Also many religions practice more serious fasting to no ill effect; I understand they start pre-pubescent.
I know this is an older post in the thread, but just as a point of clarification: my religion practices obligatory seasonal fasting and encourages it at other times for spiritual growth. Children are specifically excluded from the requirement, as are the elderly and pregnant and breastfeeding women, or for anyone for whom it would pose a danger to their health. The point is to be a little bit uncomfortable, not cause harm to yourself. Have there been overzealous parents who impose harsher restrictions on their own children? I could believe it, but it's never been required and if they sought guidance from a clergy member I'd hope they'd be discouraged from it. I might reassess this when I have teenagers as long as they are eating enough. If I caught a whiff of disordered eating I'd probably bring in someone to help me figure it out because I'd rather have as much help as I could.
I do have my children practice abstinence from meat even when not required, but as many plant based folks will attest there's no serious health risk in that. I also don't feel like cooking multiple meals so they eat what I eat.
My children up until this point have been homeschooled so it's never been a big deal if one didn't feel like eating breakfast until later in the day, but this year they'll be going to school and I have one who may not want to eat first thing. Hm. His lunch will be earlier in the day than his older brother's, but probably later than he'd like for a first meal. I probably will encourage him to eat breakfast, but it won't bother me if it's small and I'll explain why. Even a glass of milk and an apple would be fine.
When I was a teen I used to use my lunch time in high school to get my homework done, and then I ate lunch when I got home in the early afternoon - so about seven hours without eating. It was nice not having to worry about packing something and not having to bring as many books home, too.
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Most studies I have seen indicate a benefit to academic performance and classroom behaviour in kids who eat breakfast regularly, although it is hard to control for confounders is these types of studies. So since IF generally means skipping breakfast then no, I think it is healthier that they eat something in the morning. I always had my kids eat breakfast before school, and nothing I have learned since then has changed my thoughts on it.
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This is a really interesting debate!
I am one of those who tends to feel ravenous if I do consume food between 5-11am, and that itself makes it difficult to stay within calorie goals but also, breakfast cereal isn't necessarily appetising, especially when it goes mushy. Toast is ok. A piece of fruit of some yoghurt is also nice every now and then.
As a kid we had breakfast options available that we could make ourselves, and during school term would rarely eat an early morning meal however on school holidays when we could sleep in, or we had been up and doing work with our parents, we would eat toast/porridge/fruit about 10-11am.
As an adult, I am very much the same. A workday typically means no breakfast=more sleep whereas a weekend or time off means the 10-11am meal.
My son (now 16) is very much the same. Some days he wants breakfast and makes it and other days he wants those extra few minutes in bed. Some days he eats lunch, some days his first meal of the day will be a bowl of noodle and a fried egg after school. I got to the point of wasted food and money that I stopped sending a lunch for him and if he wants lunch he is in charge of preparing it. Therefore, some days he is doing his own form of IF until about 3:30pm.
Would I put a child on IF intentionally? No. Would I decide, as a caregiver, that having an argument or tantrum every morning about the child eating something so they "are fueled for school" wasn't worth whatever gains they might make educationally? Yes.
I think it absolutely comes down to the child, the caregivers, the home/work/school situation and timetable, as well as factors like income and cultural and religious expectations.
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Most studies I have seen indicate a benefit to academic performance and classroom behaviour in kids who eat breakfast regularly, although it is hard to control for confounders is these types of studies. So since IF generally means skipping breakfast then no, I think it is healthier that they eat something in the morning. I always had my kids eat breakfast before school, and nothing I have learned since then has changed my thoughts on it.
I agree with this. I think I said so earlier in the thread
However like penguinmama, I didn't force a big breakfast on them - sometimes it was just a cup of milk or Milo and a banana or an apple.2 -
being FORCED to? absolutely not. regardless of their age. i typically did not eat breakfast in high school. i simply did not want it. was a normal weight. even as an adult I rarely eat it.
if an older child/teen is using it as a way to help lose weight (and needs to) and is otherwise eating enough then ... okay (so long as school work/ energy levels are not suffering as a result of not eating in the morning)
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Our children are the next generation of adults and with childhood obesity and diabetes increasing we'll probably not see a decrease any time soon in the adult population. Intermittent fasting for children is not the answer. The lowest population of children with obesity are mostly preschoolers and the highest in adolescence. Home, early in a childs life, under10 yrs old, is where good eating habits form. Lower income single parent households are where real transformation can occur but that is a pretty big ask and with no blame given, it's just damn hard. China for example, the obesity rate in young children is around 17% and in adolescence it's around 8%. It clear to see that while many people are getting out of poverty and becoming middleclass they're also eating more in general and can afford I suspect the more expensive packaged/processed foods and early obesity numbers will be the new adolescence numbers soon. Most countries show this trend but China and Russia show the bigger examples.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/health/child-obesity-parenting-without-borders-intl/index.html1
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