Children's diets

Current UK dietary trends

British children's diets and the impact of poor nutrition on their health are causes for serious concern. Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey [1] showed that British children are eating less than half the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables to protect their health.

• The survey showed that 92% of children have an intake of saturated fat which exceeds the recommended level, and 83% have an intake of NME (non-milk extrinsic) sugars which is higher than the recommended level.
• More than half of children have an intake of salt which is higher than the maximum recommended amount.
• Iron intake among teenagers was below recommended levels. Low iron intake is associated with poor cognitive function.
• One in four teenage girls is receiving less than the minimum recommended levels of calcium at the critical age for bone mass development. Both iron deficiency and calcium deficiency have important health consequences for both this generation of young people and the next.

Many young people depend on three foods - chips, cakes and biscuits - for a significant proportion of their total intake of energy at the expense of more nutritious options.

Childhood obesity in 2006

For children, special curves have been designated to calculate BMI as the height and weight of children varies with age and gender.

The most common immediate consequences for obese and overweight young people are social and psychological. Despite the increasing prevalence of heavier children, we live in a culture which values and celebrates thinness and those who do not conform are more likely to be bullied or socially isolated.

These young people are also more likely to have higher blood pressure and signs of atherosclerosis (clogging of the coronary arteries). Maturity onset diabetes (or type 2) is now being seen in obese school children, when previously this condition was limited to middle-aged or older adults, as the name suggests.

International Obesity Taskforce research in spring 2006 suggests that almost two million UK school children are overweight and 700,000 are obese. The study shows that more than a quarter of girls and over a fifth of boys are fatter than they should be.

This is not just a British problem. The Obesity Taskforce suggests that by 2010 the number of overweight children across the EU is set to top 26 million within four years, with 6.4 million of them being classed as obese.

In the EU, the number of children who are overweight is expected to rise by 1.3 million children a year, with more than 300,000 of them becoming obese each year without urgent action to counteract the trend. 

The adverse impact on health has also led researchers to suggest that, based on the most conservative estimate, over 20,000 obese children in the EU have type 2 diabetes, while over 400,000 have impaired glucose tolerance. Over a million obese children are likely to show a range of indicators for cardiovascular disease, including hypertension and raised blood cholesterol levels, and have three or more indicators of the metabolic syndrome. Over 1.4 million may have early stages of liver disorder.

Statistics on overweight and obesity

• Boys 2-10 years: 30% overweight including obese  (15.9% obese)
• Boys 11-15 years: 37% overweight including obese  (24.2%)
• All boys (2-15 years): 33% overweight including obese  (19.2%)
  
• Girls 2-10 years: 27.7% overweight including obese  (12.8%)
• Girls 11-15 years: 46% overweight including obese  (26.7%)
• All girls (2-15 years): 35% overweight including obese (18.5%)

Recommended diet for health

A healthy balanced diet (derived from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy [COMA] guidelines)[2] should:

• Provide at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

• Total fat should contribute not more than 35% of total dietary energy, saturated fat not more than 11%,

• NME sugars (sugar and added sugars) not more than 11%.

• Salt intake should not exceed 1.7g for 4-6 year olds, 2.9g for 7-10 year olds and 4.0g for 11-18 year olds.
  

For further information:

• See NHF Reports: Young at Heart policy framework section for recommendations on children's diets.
• See NHF Reports: Lightening the Load: Tackling overweight and obesity  
• See NHF Policy - Nutrition section for more in depth information about School food and Food poverty

Other useful links:

Children's Food Bill: http://www.sustainweb.org/childrensfoodbill/ or Children's Food Bill

References

1. Gregory J, Lowe S, Bates CJ, Prentice A, Jackson L, Smithers G, Wenlock R, Farron M. 2000. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Young People Aged 4-18 Years. London: The Stationery Office.
2. Department of Health. 1994. Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease. Report on Health and Social Subjects No 46. London: HMSO.