Body Weight and Eating Habits in 5-12 Year Old Irish Children

• Project start date: 10 September 2010
• Project status: Completed
• Discipline: Nutrition

Research objective

To identify whether family, home, school, attitudes, beliefs or diet influence the likelihood of a child being a healthy weight or having a health promoting diet.

Outputs

Research report

• Title: Body weight and eating habits in 5-12 year old Irish children
• Publication date: 5 May 2011
• Summary: Factors associated with healthy weight and healthy nutritious diets in Irish children age 5-12.
• Findings:
  • 20% of boys and 25% of girls were carrying excess weight, the body weight of the children being classified as overweight or obese.
  • In the past 15 years, Irish children aged 8 to 12 years have become heavier. The numbers of boys classified as overweight has more than doubled and the numbers of girls classified as obese has almost tripled.
  • Parents who had a higher BMI and waist circumference were more likely to have children with a higher BMI and waist circumference.
  • Overweight and obesity occurred in all social classes and across all levels of education.
  • Children who spent more time watching TV were more likely to be overweight/obese.
  • A significant proportion of parents were unable to identify when their own child was not a healthy weight.
  • Obese children were more likely to eat more rapidly, have lower scores for responsiveness to feeling full and higher scores for emotional overeating and for enjoyment of food.
  • Children with healthier eating patterns were more likely to have parents from a higher social class, with third level education and married or living with a partner.
  • Parents identified convenience, cost and children’s preferences and eating behaviours as significant barriers to providing a healthy diet.
  • Salt intake was 50% above the recommended maximum limit in 5 to 10 year olds.
  • 61% of Irish children did not meet the recommendations for fibre intake.
  • 40% of children exceeded the recommendations for dietary fat.
  • Recommendations to use low fat milk and other low fat dairy products in children of this age were not followed.
  • 93% of all potential breakfasts were eaten by Irish primary school children. Breakfast was low in fat, high in carbohydrate and high in micronutrients such as calcium, iron, folate and ‘B’ vitamins.
  • Food eaten at school was typically prepared at home and brought to school as a packed lunch plus snacks, contributing to 36% of their total daily energy.
  • 87% of children had sweets, chocolate or savoury snacks in their packed lunch and 75% had biscuits and cakes.
  • Two-thirds of children had fruit.
  • Only 45% of children drank milk at school, despite milk schemes in most schools.
  • Lunch-box food contributed more to sugar and salt and less to protein, dietary fibre, vitamin and mineral intakes than food eaten during the rest of the day.
• Recommendations:
  • Maintain and enhance current initiatives to prevent of childhood obesity.
  • Continue to prioritise disadvantaged groups for support with healthy eating and physical activity initiatives.
  • Priority must be given to supporting parents and guardians in the home environment.
  • The weights and heights of children and adults in Ireland should be measured.
  • Continue to engage and support primary schools to implement health promotion initiatives.
  • Inform parents and children of the national physical activity guidelines and encourage a reduction in TV viewing time.
  • Practical advice should be made available to parents and guardians on healthy eating.
  • Acknowledge the many other influences that play a role in the prevention and management of overweight and obesity in Ireland, including government departments, and suppliers and advertisers of food. A coordinated approach across all sectors is required.

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