Children and the privacy of the body

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently published recommendations for body privacy awareness as a form of teaching children the physical boundaries of themselves and others. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This comes to help provide protection from sexual harassment, which is a global phenomenon that threatens the mental health of children; Where statistics indicate that a girl out of every 3 is exposed to sexual harassment, and a male out of every 20 before their 17th birthday. This phenomenon occurs in all societies and most cultures, even countries with a religious majority.

- Physical awareness

The recommendations showed that the more children have sufficient awareness of their bodies and sufficient information about privacy in general and the privacy of the body in particular, the more they are able to confront and reject harassment; especially at a young age; Because the harasser often takes advantage of the young age of the child and his insufficient knowledge of what is going on around him, and forces him to deal intimately with him.

Therefore, parents must communicate continuously with their children and make sure that the child informs them of all the events of his day, no matter how small they are, and asks about the details, and not expresses annoyance in front of him, which encourages the child to inform the parents of any event that raises suspicion.

The academy advised that children should be taught the correct names for all parts of the body, including the genitals, away from euphemism or humor, but mentioning the scientific name of the organ in a simplified way that the child can understand, and includes private organs, such as the penis, vagina, breast, and buttocks; Because giving special names to the genitals can give the child the impression that they are bad or shameful, and therefore they should not be talked about if they are touched or looked at. For younger children, the body parts can be explained in a simple way, as the parts covered by a swimsuit, and explained that they are considered private and may never be touched or seen except for a medical purpose.

The academy stated that teaching children the privacy of their own bodies should include respecting the privacy of the bodies of others, including siblings and relatives. For example, the child must change his clothes in an empty private room without the participation of others, even if they are of the same sex, so that the privacy of seeing the body becomes entrenched in his mind. The same applies to parents because they sometimes deal with a great deal of comfort with children, claiming that they do not realize. The child should also not be forced to show certain feelings, such as hugging or kissing an adult or child that he or she does not want to be kissed; Whether of his own gender, or of the opposite sex, in order to learn to reject any act of compulsion, even if it is a kind of courtship.

- Showing affection and welcoming

A child must be taught that there are several ways to show affection and welcome away from touch. And in some cultures, such as the Arab countries and the peoples of the Mediterranean, affection is always shown by physical contact, such as kissing, embracing, or patting on the shoulders and thighs.

The child can be taught that shaking hands intimately is considered a sufficient act of welcome; Especially for people who are not closely related, to promote the concept of not intruding into the private space of others, which is called body autonomy, which makes him feel disturbed by the violation of his body's privacy.

Parents can also explain and clarify the meaning of appropriate touching, which is touching that is spontaneous or completely away from the private parts of the body (except for a medical examination), as opposed to inappropriate touching that intentionally or repeatedly touches - even if it appears spontaneous - the private parts of the body The child, whoever that person may be, regardless of his age, relationship to the child, sex or occupation. Trusted adults should be told about this touching if it occurs, and the child can be reassured that most touching is indeed fine, but parents or teachers should be told about any action that might raise suspicion.

Parents should monitor the content that the child watches on television or on mobile phones; Because seeing sexual scenes, even those that do not contain explicit scenes, does something like normalization with physical contact. At a young age, the child cannot understand the difference between voluntary action and forced action. Therefore, it is preferable, in the case of family participation, to watch one of the artworks, for parents to realize that what may be considered appropriate for them, may not be appropriate for their child.

Parents can provide a practical example of respecting the body by asking permission, in the event that children touch other relatives and friends. And in the event that a child does something that requires physical contact, you must talk to him about the details of this work, such as: “I will adjust the shirt button until you are ready for school.” Good ones require permission in the beginning.

Media discourse blaming the child victim, as a result of behavior, clothing or location, suggesting that the victim is responsible for what happened to them, even if the child is too young to comprehend, should be criticized. It must be emphasized that the child is not responsible for the assault, which makes him feel psychological support and reassurance that there is a listening ear in his family, in case he is subjected to physical or sexual harm.

What are the disadvantages of fructose?

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than six teaspoons per day. But the reality is different, as Americans, children and adults, eat an average of 17 teaspoons of sugar per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Western diet consists largely of processed foods, the majority of which contain added sugar. Fructose, especially high fructose corn syrup, is the most common type of sugar in processed foods.

Fructose

Fructose: found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and honey. Fructose makes up about 50 percent of table sugar (sucrose), along with glucose. It is also used to make high fructose corn syrup, which contains similar amounts of fructose and glucose. As a major source of energy for our cells, the body breaks down glucose in the cells. Fructose must be converted into glucose by the liver before it can provide energy for our cells.

While glucose causes insulin to be released, fructose does not stimulate insulin, nor the hormones that tell the brain that the body is not hungry. This can lead to overeating and possible weight gain and associated health problems.

> Too much added fructose: Too much fructose, like too much of any added sugar, is not healthy. Fructose is converted to glucose in the liver, but if there is too much of it, the liver produces uric acid (uric acid) and fats in the form of triglycerides, which can increase the risk of fatty liver disease, gout and heart disease.

Too much added fructose has also been linked to insulin resistance, which can contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes. A recent study finds that fructose, not glucose, is the component of added sugar that leads to metabolic complications (including insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and premature heart disease).

Another study suggests that the interaction between fructose and glucose in high-fructose corn syrup is what increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Despite the many studies pointing to the ill effects of fructose, more research is needed to reach a definitive conclusion against it.

In addition, many foods high in fructose contain other sugars, such as glucose, and tend to be high in calories, which also contributes to obesity and related negative health effects.

Natural fructose

Fruits, vegetables, fruit juices and honey contain varying amounts of fructose and glucose. The quantities of each of these two natural sugars also vary, but they are generally about half and half. The difference between eating fructose in its natural form compared to fructose as added sugar is that not only do whole fruits and vegetables contain less sugar than foods with added sugar, they're also full of health-protecting dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, in addition to water.

Consuming too much fructose from fruit and vegetable sources is highly unlikely due to the balanced nutritional composition of these foods. Studies have shown that eating whole fruits is highly unlikely to contribute to excess calories and weight gain, and may even play a role in preventing it. and manage it.

The bottom line is that excessive added sugars are not good for health, but it's not clear if fructose alone is to blame. So more research is still needed. Still in its natural form - fruits and vegetables - fructose is a simple way to satisfy your craving for sugar, while benefiting from health-promoting vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.