ADA report calls for action to improve kids’ diets

The ADA’s State of Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Report draws together research from US food, nutrition and health associations, including the ADA Foundation’s 2010 Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, released in October last year. The ADA Foundation's survey polled 1,193 pairs of parents and their children, aged 8 to 17, about their nutrition knowledge, eating habits and physical activity, as well as parents’ awareness of their children’s behaviors, following up on a 2003 survey.

Registered dietitian and national education director for the ADA Foundation Dr. Katie Brown said: "While a shocking 17 percent of our nation's children are obese, most children are also lacking critical nutrients in their diets, leaving them in a state of malnourishment. On top of that, they are not getting the recommended amount of physical activity their bodies need to grow and thrive.”

The report highlighted significant differences between different ethnicities, with African-American children reporting snacking more often than Hispanic or Caucasian children – while watching TV (significantly more than Caucasian children), while doing homework, while playing computer games, while talking on the phone (significantly more than Caucasian and Hispanic) and before bedtime (significantly more than Hispanic children).