A poll by the Cancer Care Foundation showed a 30 percent obesity rate in elementary-school students, which might be the primary cause of health issues in children.
Eighty percent of children eat snacks after class at least once a week, the poll showed, with obesity more common among boys.
The poll found that students from grades one to three often eat fruit as a snack, with potato chips a close second, while older students preferred bread, potato chips or crackers, all of which are refined-starch products.
The poll showed that more than 70 percent of students consume sweetened drinks after school, with 11 percent of respondents saying they have such drinks daily.
The foundation said there is a direct correlation between obesity and the consumption of sweetened drinks like milk tea.
According to the poll, more than 80 percent of elementary-school students do not get their daily quota of water, with 42 percent consuming less than 1 liter of water per day.
Thirty-six percent of students polled said they were not in the habit of defecating on a daily basis, while 7 percent said they go without defecating for about three days, the poll said.
Students in higher grades had a higher ratio of daily defecation resistance, the poll said, adding that students who defecated once per week were generally those who consumed sweetened drinks daily.
Foundation nutritionist Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) said calories and nutrition should be the primary concern when choosing snacks.
Lin said potato chips, crackers and sweetened drinks all have high sugar, sodium and fat content, while being low in fiber, which decreases bowel movements and is a primary cause of constipation.
Snacks with more fiber and calcium should be chosen for children, Lin said, adding that snacks should also be limited to about 300 kilocalories.
The poll was conducted across 38 elementary schools in New Taipei City and 14 schools in Taipei among children of all ages. Out of 4,011 surveys taken, the foundation received 3,940 valid samples.
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