For Release: September 2, 1997, 5 p.m. (ET)
Below is a highlight of a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). To receive full text of this study, you can e-mail the Division of Public Relations at [email protected] and ask for C323-97. E-mail requests should include your name, phone and fax numbers or address. You can also phone the Division at 847-981-7877.
MOST CHILDREN NOT MEETING FOOD GUIDELINES
CHICAGO--Most children are eating below the minimum recommendations for food group intake, with many not meeting any of the recommendations, according to a study in the September issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study, which compared food intake to food recommendations for more than 3,300 children 2 to 19 years of age, was conducted by researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, Md. According to the study, 16 percent of the children did not meet any daily recommendations--the most prominent pattern in the analysis--and only 1 percent of the children met all recommendations. In addition, fat and added sugars supplied more than 40 percent of the energy in childrens diets. The good news: boys 12 to 19 years of age ate more grains, vegetables, dairy and meats than other age and gender groups studied, and overall were more likely to meet food group recommendations. The authors say that children need to modify food choices by emphasizing low fat and low added sugar items and should be encouraged to eat more fruit, vegetables and grains. "There is an immediate need for nutrition intervention and education," The study concludes. EDITORS NOTE: In a related nutrition study, appearing on the September PEDIATRICS electronic pages, researchers examined the impact of lower-fat food choices on nutrient intake. --30--
EDITORS NOTE: This study was published in the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, but does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the Academy. The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 53,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
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