45I-3 |
Characteristics, dietary assessment, and food sources of children by body weight status |
E. T. ANDERSON, J. D. Goldman, and A. J. Moshfegh. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Food Surveys Research Group, 10300 Baltimore Ave., BARC-West, Bldg 005, Beltsville, MD 20705 JUSTIFICATION: Medical experts have declared obesity to be a major health problem in the United States. Some studies suggest overweight children have a tendency to become overweight adults with increased risk for disease. Data collected in nationwide food consumption surveys can be used to identify dietary and demographic traits associated with children. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe characteristics and dietary habits of overweight or at risk children and non-overweight children. METHOD: The sample consisted of 2863 children, aged 6 to 18 who were respondents to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals 1994-96, 1998 (CSFII 1994-96, 98) and completed two 24-hour dietary recalls. Respondents with a body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile greater than 85th percent were categorized as overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of the sample were classified as overweight/at risk. Socio-demographic characteristics such as lower household income, black or hispanic ethnicity, and more frequent TV watching were generally associated with overweight/at risk children. The mean contribution to total energy intake by fat was higher for overweight/at risk children, but average daily energy intake was similar in both groups. Most children failed to meet recommendations for fat and calcium intake. In terms of the Food Guide Pyramid, none of the food group serving requirements were met by a majority of children, although overweight/at risk children were more likely to meet the requirement for meat servings. More than 65% of all children reported eating foods away from home. The percentage of daily energy intake (~35%) contributed by away from home foods was similar in both groups. SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that certain socio-demographic characteristics influence a child’s weight status. While average daily calories were similar, the macronutrient sources of calories were different between overweight/at risk and non-overweight children.
Session 45I, Nutrition: General
|