Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast

Why Are We Doing This to Our Kids?

Jan 25, 2025

Explore the shocking shift in children's diets since 1948, when obesity was rare and processed foods were nearly nonexistent. Discover the rise of ultra-processed snacks and their dire health impacts, including rising rates of food allergies, asthma, and obesity. Reflect on nostalgic eating habits, where red meat was common and saturated fats weren’t demonized. Unpack how constant snacking leads to insulin spikes, paving the way for chronic illnesses. The discussion dives deep into why healthier choices for kids are more important than ever!

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ANECDOTE

1948 Childhood Health Anecdote

In 1948, childhood obesity and diabetes were rare with almost no food allergies or autism.
Dr. Berg's dad confirms these conditions were uncommon in his time at school.

ANECDOTE

Kids' Food Habits in 1948

Sugary cereals like Fruit Loops and Captain Crunch did not exist in 1948.
Snacking was rare; kids were told not to spoil their appetite before dinner.

ANECDOTE

Dietary Fats and Meat in 1948

Saturated fats like lard and tallow were common cooking fats in 1948.
Red meat was a staple and not considered dangerous or cancer-causing.

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Why are we feeding our kids ultra-processed foods? In 1948, the childhood obesity rate was less than 1%, and food allergies, asthma, and autism were virtually non-existent. Discover the detrimental health consequences of the ultra-processed food diet in this podcast.

When my father was a child in 1948, he recalls a different way of life. Sugary cereals like Fruit Loops, Captain Crunch, and Fruity Pebbles did not line the aisles of the grocery store. Children did not have mid-morning snacks at school and were told not to spoil their appetites by eating before dinner.

Saturated fats were not demonized as they are today. Lard and tallow were found in every kitchen, and red meat was a dietary staple. Most people had gardens and relied on the skill of canning to get them through the winter.

Obesity and chronic disease in childhood were uncommon, while childhood obesity, food allergies, asthma, and autism plague the children of today!

The largest category of ultra-processed foods are snack foods. The problem with snacking is that you spike insulin every time you eat. Carbohydrates create the most significant spike in insulin. Not only are we snacking, but we’re snacking on the worst foods!

The pancreas is constantly working to pump out insulin to remove sugar from the blood. This eventually leads to insulin resistance, which is behind almost every chronic illness, including a fatty liver, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory diseases, mood disorders, dementia, and more.

In 1948, we did not have not have ultra-processed food calories. Today, 65% of the teenage diet comes from ultra-processed food calories. This number is around 50% for adults and 45% for toddlers.

Seed oils, such as soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola, are the worst ultra-processed food ingredients. Around 25% to 30% of all our calories come from seed oils.

Grain-based starches generate 220 billion dollars per year! Highly processed industrial starches such as modified food starch, modified cornstarch, and maltodextrin spike blood sugar—often higher than consuming sugar does!