By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 59 minutes ago, updated 46 minutes ago
An American child helping himself in a canteen as part of a program to fight obesity (photo illustration). JOHN MOORE/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP
The proportion is only slightly better for fruit: every third small child (32%) does not eat at least one a day.
According to a health officials study released Thursday, February 16, one in two young American children does not eat at least one vegetable daily as recommended for health. The proportion is only slightly better for fruit: every third small child (32%) does not eat at least one a day.
These estimates come from a questionnaire sent between June 2021 and January 2022 to the parents of around 18,300 children between the ages of 1 and 5. They were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation’s top federal health agency. This study also shows that 57% of the children had a drink with added sugar at least once in the week prior to the survey.
Also readThe path of microbiota in the fight against obesity is still under investigation
SEE ALSO – Qatar: The emirate confirms the ban on food containing insects
Increased risk of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay
Young children need specific nutrients for their development, which fruits and vegetables can provide, the CDC emphasized. And added sugar has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, tooth decay, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The study also revealed significant differences between states: In Vermont, only 30% of children ages 1 to 5 had not eaten at least one vegetable a day in the previous week, compared to nearly 65% in Louisiana.
The percentage of children not consuming any vegetables and fruits per day was also higher among black children than among white children and among children living in poor families with little food. In general, 1-year-old children consumed one vegetable and one fruit per day more often than slightly older children.