Doctor says Valentine candy isn’t the best thing for kids

A children’s doctor says this Valentine’s holiday weekend isn’t much of a high-point for children’s health. Doctor Nader Ajluni is a pediatrician at Des Moines’s Blank Children’s Hospital who agrees it can be tough to keep all the sweets out of your kids’ reach.Anytime we can get some fruits and vegetables into them, it’s a good idea beforehand so there won’t be room for all the sweets. The doctor says there’s nothing wrong with making a deal — if your kids eat a big nourishing meal with plenty of veggies, they can have some sweet treats as a reward. The doctor says if we keep in mind that kids should have five fruits and vegetables a day and if they get that, a few treats won’t hurt. It’s not entirely diet that has the doctor agreeing it’s a fat nation these days — he says we also don’t get out and exercise as much as we should. Ajluni says we “seem to be lured to the couch” and the appeal of TV, video and computer video games, but they all take us away from what he says we’re designed to do — to play. It’s tough in this cold weather but the doctor says kids can go to indoor recreational facilities too, and burn off some of the excess calories from sweets we indulge in during this kind of holiday.