A survey released yesterday by the Child Welfare League Foundation yesterday showed that 30 percent of the nation’s children are overweight, and more than half of children consume junk food or bubble tea once a week or more.
The foundation said that from September to October last year it collected 1,255 valid surveys from 5th and 6th-grade elementary-school students.
The poll said that 30.2 percent of them were overweight or obese, higher than the 25 percent rate of overweight children found in WHO surveys of students in the same grade groups elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of the foundation
The poll showed that 16.3 percent of the students frequently eat fast food and fried food, 53 percent consume snacks and desserts and 16.2 percent drink bubble tea.
Further analysis confirmed that children who are classified as obese tended to consume bubble tea, fast food or fried foods often.
Regarding the daily three meals, the poll showed 11 percent of students eat breakfast fewer than three days a week. Their breakfast consisted of 51.4 percent dairy and legumes, 46.7 percent bread and 18 percent sugary beverages.
Additionally, 12.4 percent ate fast foods such as hot dogs and chicken nuggets, making improvement desirable in their nutritional balance.
For dinner, the survey found that 24.2 percent of students did not have a fixed eating time, and more than 60 percent of their dinners consisted only of starches, such as fried noodles, casseroles, pizza or pasta, lacking protein and vegetables.
About 31.8 percent of students ate a more balanced dinner, the poll showed.
Nutritionist Remin Kao (高敏敏) said that one Big Mac meal contains about 61 grams of sugar, which exceeds the recommended daily sugar intake for children by two days worth of sugar. The fat content is high, about 48g, with 13g to 15g of saturated fat, she said.
The recommended daily intake of saturated fat for children should be less than 10 percent of their daily caloric intake, and a single meal often exceeds the limit.
If eaten consistently over time, it could significantly increase the risk of obesity and metabolic issues, she said.
The foundation said another point of concern is the consumption of energy gels.
Among students who eat energy gels, the poll showed 5.1 percent consume some more than once a day, and 28.1 percent eat some once a day.
This suggests that parents might be too reliant on such products, the foundation said, adding that it is important to be mindful of sugar content, artificial coloring and additives in these products, and to avoid letting gels replace regular meals or be consumed in excess.
The foundation said the government and schools must work together to create a healthy eating environment.
Improving children’s diets is not solely the responsibility of parents, but a joint project that requires the efforts of the family, schools and policy to ensure that children have a healthy and balanced diet, it added.
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