People with intellectual/developmental disabilities often have a higher tendency of being obese than people in the general population. For ideas on how to improve nutrition in persons with Down syndrome, see the NCHPAD factsheet at http://www.ncpad.org/165/1278/Down~Syndrome~and~Nutrition.

General Recommendations for maintaining or losing weight include:

• Eat a diet low in saturated fat. See the American Dietetic Association factsheet at http://www.ncpad.org/689/3132/2005-04-01#11 for a primer on fats and oils.
• Eat a diet filled with high-fiber, whole-grain carbohydrates. Healthy carbohydrate sources include grains (brown rice or pasta, whole-grain breads/cereals -- one slice of high fiber bread can have as much as 4 grams of fiber), beans, fruits, and some vegetables, which are high in fiber, and have plenty of vitamins and minerals (http://www.ncpad.org/229/1517/Low-Carb~Fad~Diets; http://www.ncpad.org/259/1674/The~5~to~9-A-Day~Challenge).
  • Watch portion control (http://www.ncpad.org/81/595/Estimating~Serving~Sizes).
  • Read labels to choose foods that comprise a healthful diet (http://www.ncpad.org/84/621/Food~Labels). For example, be aware of the distinction of the following keyword labels:
    • fat-free: less than .5 grams of fat per serving
    • low-fat: 3 grams of fat (or less) per serving
    • lean: less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and no more than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
    • light (lite): one-third less calories or no more than half the fat of the higher-calorie, higher-fat version; or no more than half the sodium of the higher-sodium version
    • cholesterol-free: less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams (or less) of saturated fat per serving

For an explanation on any of these recommendations, feel free to contact our nutrition expert at 800-900-8086.