Children who eat vended
snack foods face chronic health problems, poor diet
Vended foods and beverages may
be linked to obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease, U-M study
finds
School children who consume
foods purchased in vending machines are more likely to develop poor diet
quality – and that may be associated with being overweight, obese or at
risk for chronic health problems such as diabetes and coronary artery
disease, according to research from the
University of Michigan Medical School.
The study also looked at foods
sold in school stores, snack bars and other related sales that compete
with
USDA lunch program offerings and found that these pose the same
health and diet risks in school-aged children.
“The foods that children are
exposed to early on in life influence the pattern for their eating
habits as adults,” says lead study author
Madhuri Kakarala, M.D., Ph.D., clinical lecturer of internal
medicine at the U-M Medical School.
Previous studies assessing the
nutritional value of school lunches and the impact they have on
children’s overall health have found similar results, but this study is
the first to look specifically at competitive foods and beverages –
those sold at snack bars or vending machines, rather than through the
USDA lunch program.
Researchers analyzed data from
2,309 children in grades 1 through 12 from schools across the country.
Interviewers administered questionnaires to obtain 24-hour food intake
data on a given school day. Second-day food intake data was obtained
from a group of students to account for day-to-day usual intakes.
Among those surveyed, 22 percent
of school children consumed competitive or vended food items in a school
day. Usage was highest in high school, where 88 percent of schools had
vending machines, compared to 52 percent of middle schools and 16
percent of elementary schools. Competitive food and beverage consumers
had significantly higher sugar intakes and lower dietary fiber, vitamin
B levels and iron intakes than non-consumers.
Soft drinks accounted for more
than two-thirds of beverages offered in school vending machines and
stores. Desserts and fried snacks were the most commonly consumed vended
items among elementary school children and beverages other than milk and
fruit juice were the most commonly consumed items among middle and high
school students. Other frequently consumed vended foods included candy,
snack chips, crackers, cookies, cakes and ice cream.
The results did not show a
significant difference in students’ consumption of these items based on
family income or race and ethnicity.
“Consumption of vended foods and
beverages currently offered in U.S. schools is detrimental to children’s
diet quality,” says Kakarala. “Childhood obesity, resulting from poor
dietary choices, such as those found in this study, greatly increases
the risk for many chronic diseases. A healthy school food environment
can reduce these dietary risks.”
Based on their findings, the
study authors recommend school administrators design guidelines
restricting vended and competitive foods and beverages to those that are
rich with nutrients and not energy-dense. Additionally, school
foodservice personnel can prepare point-of-service materials and
displays to promote more healthful foods such as fresh fruit, yogurt,
low-fat milk, juice and sandwiches.
“Targeted nutrition education to
promote the importance of healthful snacks is further stressed by the Child
Nutrition Act—the major federal legislation that determines school
food policy and resources,” Kakarala says. “These and other types of
school-enforced policies can be very helpful for children in making
smarter eating choices throughout the school day.”
If more healthful snack options
are not available in vending machines or school stores, children are at
risk for poor nutrition by choosing these items over a USDA-choice lunch
or a meal packed from home, Kakarala says.
Additional authors: Debra R.
Keast, Ph.D., of the Food & Nutrition Database Research, Inc. and Sharon
Hoerr, Ph.D., R.D., of the Michigan State University Department of Food
Science and Human Nutrition
Reference: Journal of School
Health, Vol. 80, No. 9, September 2010
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