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- Today’s generation of young people may be the first in U.S. history not to live longer than their parents. One reason? Poor diet.[i]
- Poor diet is a leading cause of being overweight or obese, which increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol (which can cause heart disease), asthma, arthritis, and other problems.[ii]
- Nearly 1 in 3 children and adolescents (ages 6-19) are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. The same is true for 1 in 5 toddlers and pre-schoolers (ages 2-5). Over the past 20 years, the proportion of overweight children ages 6-11 has more than doubled and the rate for adolescents ages 12-19 has more than tripled.[iii]
- The numbers of children and teens with Type 2 diabetes – a condition usually found in adults over 40 – has risen dramatically,[iv] and up to 85% of young people diagnosed with this disease are overweight or obese.[v] Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of serious health complications, including heart disease, blindness, and kidney damage.[vi]
- Only 2% of children and adolescents (ages 6-18) meet the recommendations for a healthy diet outlined in the Food Guide Pyramid.[vii]
Too much fat. More than 60% of children and adolescents consume more than the dietary guidelines for total fat intake. The numbers are even worse for saturated fats, with over 80% of young people eating more than the recommended amount.[viii]
Not enough fruits and vegetables. About 80% of children and adolescents do not eat the minimum recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.[ix]
Too much soda. Soft drink consumption has doubled over the last 30 years.[x] Each additional serving of a sugar-sweetened drink (like a soda) increases the odds that a child will become obese by 60%.[xi]
Not enough milk. Seven in 10 children do not meet the recommended servings of milk and milk products.[xii] Over 80% of girls ages 9-19 are not getting enough calcium.[xiii]
- For older children and adolescents (ages 9-18), eating as a family improves consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, fiber, vitamins, calcium, and other minerals.[xiv]
- Young people (ages 9-14) who have more frequent family dinners eat less fried food and saturated fats and drink less soda.[xv]
[i] Olshansky SJ, et al. “A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21 st Century,” New England Journal of Medicine 2005; 352:11 (1138-1145).
[ii] CDC, Division of Adolescent and School Health, “Nutrition and the Health of Young People,” March 2005.
[iii] Ogden CL, et al. “Prevalence and Trends in Overweight Among US Children and Adolescents, 1999-2000,” Journal of the American Medical Association 2002; 288:14 (1728-1732).
[iv] CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Diabetes Public Health Resource, “Epidemiology of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among North American Children and Adolescents,” January 2005; Ponder SW, et al. “Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Teens,” Diabetes Spectrum 2000; 13:3 (95).
[v] American Diabetes Association Consensus Statement, “Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents,” Diabetes Care 2000; 23:3 (381-389).
[vi] American Diabetes Association, “Type 2 Diabetes” and “Type 2 Diabetes Complications.”
[vii] USDA Food and Nutrition Service, “Children's Diets in the Mid-1990's: Dietary Intake and Its Relationship with School Meal Participation,” January 2001.
[viii] CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, “Preventing Chronic Diseases: Investing Wisely in Health: Preventing Obesity and Chronic Diseases Through Good Nutrition and Physical Activity,” July 2003; USDA Food and Nutrition Service, “Changes in Children’s Diets: 1989-1991 to 1994-1996,” January 2001.
[ix] CDC July 2003; USDA “Children’s Diets in the mid-1990s” January 2001; Grunbaum JA, et al. “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 2003, Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report 2004; 53(SS-2): 1-95.
[x] Jacobson MF, “Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks Are Harming American’s Health,” Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2005.
[xi] Ludwig DS, et al. “Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis,” The Lancet 2001; 357:9255 (505-508).
[xii] USDA “Children’s Diets in the mid-1990s” January 2001.
[xiii] USDA Food and Nutrition Service, “Healthy School Nutrition Environments: Promoting Healthy Eating Behaviors,” citing Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, “Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-1994.”
[xiv] Gillman MW, et al. “Family Dinner and Diet Quality Among Older Children and Adolescents,” Archives of Family Medicine 2000; 9:3 (235-40); Neumark-Sztainer D, et al. “Family Meal Patterns: Associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents,” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2003; 3:317-322.
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