The April 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association contains articles and research studies you may find of interest. Below is a summary of some of this month’s articles. For more information or to receive a copy of a Journal article, e-mail media@eatright.org.
Children Fed Diet of Poor Nutrition on Saturday Morning Television
Nine out of ten food advertisements shown during Saturday morning children’s television programming are for foods of poor nutritional quality, according to researchers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the University of Minnesota.
During a sample of 27.5 hours of shows aimed at pre-school and elementary school-aged children, 91 percent of food ads were for foods or beverages high in fat, sodium or added sugars or were low in nutrients, according to the study. Forty-nine percent of the 4.08 hours of advertisements shown were for food (281 food ads out of 571 total). The sample, taken from a 2005 review by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, included major broadcast and cable networks that had Saturday morning programming.
The most commonly advertised food categories were ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and cereal bars (27 percent of all ads), restaurants (19 percent) and snack foods (18 percent). Of the 281 food ads, 59 percent were for products that exceeded criteria for added sugars, according to the study. About one in five foods advertised exceeded other guidelines, including total fat, saturated plus trans fat and sodium. The majority of advertised foods (84 percent) met the criteria for vitamins and minerals, often as a result of fortification. None of the 27 beverage ads met the study’s nutrition standards.
The researchers conclude: “The findings indicate that the foods that food and nutrition professionals encourage children to eat more of, such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, are seldom encouraged in advertisements shown during children’s Saturday morning television programming. Instead, most advertisements promote…foods high in fat, sugars or sodium, or low in nutrients.”
Milk Consumption and Children’s Weight
Children who drink milk, either plain or flavored, tend to have “superior” overall nutrient intakes compared with children who don’t drink milk, according to researchers at Environ International Corp., the University of Vermont and the National Dairy Council.
The study, funded by the National Dairy Council, compared nutrient intakes and body measures among 7,557 children and teens drinking flavored milk (with or without plain milk), exclusively plain milk and no milk. Those who included flavored milk in their diets reported higher total milk intakes than consumers of exclusively plain milk while BMI measures of milk drinkers were comparable to or lower than measures of nondrinkers. Access to low-fat or nonfat flavored milk could help children and adolescents meet the recommended intakes of dairy servings, according to the researchers. The researchers said, “Only about one-third to one-half of American children and adolescent boys consume the number of dairy servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and fewer than one in five adolescent girls meet the recommendation.”
The researchers conclude: “Findings from this study suggest that consumption of either flavored or plain milk is associated with a positive influence on nutrient intakes by children and adolescents and is not associated with adverse effects on BMI measures.”
Additional research articles in the April Journal of the American Dietetic Association include:
- Family Meals: Perceptions of Benefits and Challenges among Parents of 8- to-10-Year-Old Children
- Food Marketing on Popular Children’s Web Sites: A Content Analysis
- Examining the Nutritional Quality of Breakfast Cereals Marketed to Children
- School-Based Behavioral Assessment Tools Are Reliable and Valid for Measurement of Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Physical Activity and Television Viewing in Young Children
The Journal of the American Dietetic Association is the official research publication of the American Dietetic Association and is the premier peer-reviewed journal in the field of nutrition and dietetics.
With more than 67,000 members the American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.
Journal
Journal of the American Dietetic Association