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CNN Live At Daybreak

Cutting Sweets Can Help Young People Cut Weight

Aired August 29, 2001 - 07:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: You may be familiar with the best selling diet book "Sugar Busters." Its sequel, "Sugar Busters for Kids," says cutting the sweets can also help young people cut some weight.

One of the authors, Dr. Sam Andrews, joins us now live from Chicago.

Good morning, Dr. Andrews.

DR. SAM ANDREWS, AUTHOR, "SUGAR BUSTERS FOR KIDS": Good morning, Vince, how are you?

CELLINI: Good, thank you very much.

Can you briefly explain the concept of the "Sugar Busters for Kids?"

ANDREWS: Yes, this is a lifestyle. It's a very comprehensive lifestyle that involves nutrition, exercise, parents as role models, parents as advocates, trying to get the child to come home in the afternoon and spend some time outdoors rather than sitting in front of the television or the computer eating.

CELLINI: Well that's a good point. Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but that is a good point because a lot of this has to be inactivity. When I was a kid, Dr. Andrews, no one ate more sugar and candy than I did, but I was never obese. I guess that's because I was active, but kids have changed their lifestyles today, haven't they?

ANDREWS: Not only that, but things that we used to consider treats that we would get maybe once a week or once a month, we're now consuming on a daily basis.

CELLINI: Right.

ANDREWS: We identified in our research survey the terrible trio. Terrible trio are three foods that overweight children are eating much more frequently than normal weight children. These are French fried potatoes, soft drinks and candy.

CELLINI: And you also talked about the lifestyle for kids and we have a breakdown of that. We'd like to show it as a full screen. I wonder if you could walk us through that as well? ANDREWS: I'm not seeing what's on the screen.

CELLINI: Well reducing sugar intake, choosing the correct carbs, those things.

ANDREWS: Oh, OK, all right. Yes, you know in 1900 the average American consumed about 20 pounds of refined sugar a year. We're now consuming 150 pounds of refined sugar a year and this sugar is present in many, many packaged foods. It's not just from candy, but it's also being added with soft drinks and with other packaged foods. The selection of the correct carbohydrates -- the low glycemic carbohydrates, those that don't raise the blood sugar and insulin levels as high causing the storage of fat, is one of our basic premises not only in the "Sugar Busters for Kids" but also in our original "Sugar Busters" book.

CELLINI: Right, we talk about, you know, a proper diet, but you know, let's face it, kids don't always want to eat things that are good for them so how do we steer kids toward healthy foods and on a regular basis?

ANDREWS: Well, we recommend a phase-in program and also using the behavior modification chart. But the parents need to set the standard here, they need to act as role models. Take your children to the grocery store, show them the correct foods to purchase, teach them how to read labels. That's very important. Cook with the children and also eat together as a family.

CELLINI: But you also mentioned exercise, too, so maybe even taking your child for a walk, going outside throwing a ball around, any little thing would help rather than just sit there, like you said, planted in front of the TV and video games.

ANDREWS: That would be great. You know physical education has been de-emphasized in a lot of the schools so we have to take our children out on weekends and hopefully get them outside after school.

CELLINI: Wow, what an amazing concept, feed them right and get them outside to play. Thank you very much. Dr. Sam Andrews, author -- co-author of "Sugar Busters for Kids," thank you very much.

ANDREWS: Thank you. Thanks.

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