Children's Eating Habits

What do Canada’s Children Eat?
In 2004 the Canadian Community Health Survey found that seven out of 10 children aged four to eight, and half of adults, did not eat the recommended daily minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruit. Children age four to eight years consumed fewer vegetables and fruit on average than any age group, 4.18 servings per day. Among girls aged 10-16 years, 83% did not consume the recommended three daily servings of milk products. More than a fifth of total calories consumed by 4-18 year olds and 18.2% of calories consumed by four to eight year old children came from the “other foods” category. More than a third of these “other foods” were reported as soft drinks, sugars, fruit drinks, animal fats, chocolate bars and potato chips. Among youth aged 14-18, one quarter of all calories came from “other foods”.

Lower income households are less able to afford a nutritious diet. Foods such as vegetables and fruit are often more expensive than calorie dense, nutrient poor alternatives. More importantly, decreases in the minimum wage relative to inflation and restrictions to the social safety net have made a nutritious diet less affordable for Torontonians in the lowest income category.

The effect of income on children’s diets is not entirely clear. The CCHS data found that household income was not as closely associated with differences in the diets of children or youth as it was for adults. Parents typically compromise their own diets to protect their children when faced with limited resources.

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What are the consequences of poor diet for children?
Unhealthy eating habits during childhood can interfere with optimal growth and development while setting the stage for poor eating habits during adolescence and adulthood. Poor diet can predispose to a number of serious illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and lead to a poorer quality of life. Increases in other nutrition-related risk factors for chronic disease in children such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes have also been found. Poor diet has also been linked to low academic performance, classroom behaviour problems and low self-esteem among school-age children.

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Resources
Alaimo, K., Olson, C.M. & Frongillo, E.A., Jr. (2001). Food insufficiency and American school-aged children’s cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development. Pediatrics. Vol.108(1):44-53.

Garriguet, D. (2006). Overview of Canadians' Eating Habits. Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Statistics Canada Research Paper. No.82-620-MIE — No. 2. Available from http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/82-620-MIE/82-620-MIE2006002.pdf.

Jyoti, D.F., Frongillo, E.A. & Jones, S.J. (2005). Food insecurity affects school children’s academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. J. Nutr. Vol.135(12):2831-9.

Taylor, J.P., Evers, S. & McKenna, M. (2005). Determinants of healthy eating in children and youth. Canadian Journal of Public Health. Vol. 96(S21):S20-S26.

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