Children's Eating Habits in the U.S.: Trends and Implications for Food Marketers

SUMMARY

A majority of American youngsters have "disordered" eating habits. Their diets are long on fat, sugar, salt, and excess calories, and short on many of the key nutrients children need for optimum health now, and the avoidance of future disease. The simple solution is balancing caloric and nutrient intake over the long-term with adequate physical activity to prevent weight gain. For many consumers, however, the concepts of balance and moderation are just that - concepts. Those who are aware appear to be confused by them. Assigning blame for disordered eating patterns is easy. What is needed is a collaborative effort to address the many issues and access points that influence eating trends in order to bring about long term, positive solutions.

This comprehensive study will provide an up to the minute overview of children's eating habits in the United States, including long-term changes. Mealtime patterns, portion distortion, and the contribution of away from home eating will also be discussed. In our land of abundance, many children have poor nutrition. This report will detail dietary recommendations for children, and will track compliance over time.

Continued media focus on obesity and wellness are beginning to have an effect. Children's Eating Habits in the U.S.: Trends and Implications for Food Marketers will examine nutrition and health awareness and attitudes among children and adults, and will explore the influence these attitudes are having on the food and beverage industry. Evolving eating styles, including vegetarian, will be profiled, and the role of schools and school foodservice in the eating patterns of youngsters will be examined.

Report Methodology

The information in Children's Eating Habits in the U.S.: Trends and Implications for Food Marketers is based on both primary and secondary research. Primary research involved on-site examination of the retail milieu, interviews with marketing, public relations and industry analysts within the food and beverage markets and consultants to the industry. Secondary research entailed data-gathering from relevant trade, business, and government sources, including company literature. Figures provided on national consumer advertising expenditures are based primarily on data compiled by CMR/TNS Media Intelligence U.S., the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing communications intelligence. The analysis of consumer demographics derives from Simmons Market Research Bureau surveydata for fall 2003. New product information is gathered via literature research, personal interviews and data compiled by ProductScan, a service of Marketing Intelligence Service Ltd.

Children's Eating Habits in the U.S.: Trends and Implications for Food Marketers will assess the factors that exert the most influence on children's eating habits, including parents, peers, and advertisers, and will discuss the factors most frequently blamed for the deteriorating eating habits of America's youth. The report will present suggestions for improvement, including education, intervention, regulation, and collaboration, along with viewpoints of activists, academics, food marketers and industry organizations. This report provides background and outlook critical to anyone interested in promoting food, nutrition or wellness to today's youth, including firms that market to children, and those that support them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Chapter 2 What Children Eat

• Infants and Toddlers -Weaned on Junk Food
  • Bad Habits Begin Early
  • Milk Consumption Generally Conforms to Recommendations
  • Grain Consumption: Iron and Sweets are Concerns
  • Fruit and Vegetable Concerns
    • Even toddlers eat French fries
  • Top Fruits by Age Group
  • Meat Choices Low in Iron, High in Fat
  • Nearly 80% of Toddlers Consume Sweets
  • Nutrient Intakes of Infants and Toddlers
• Food and Nutrition Patterns in Young Children
  • Healthy Eating Index - Rating the Diets of Young Children
    • Less than 20% Have "Good" Diets
  • Quality of Young Children's Diets by Socio-demographic Characteristics
  • Dairy Consumption of Young Children
  • Fruit and Vegetable Consumption of Young Children
  • Most Young Children Miss Intake Targets
    • Nutrient Intakes by Age
    • Recommended Protein Intakes
    • How Food Label Reference Values Compare to Children's Recommendations
  • Food and Beverage Patterns of School Age Children
    • Milk and Milk Products
    • Fruits and Vegetables
    • Nutrient Patterns of School Age Children
    • Many Children Under Consume Key Nutrients
      • Mean Percentages of Food Energy from Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates
      • Food and Nutrient Consumption of Tweens, Teens
  • Milk and Milk Products
    • Fruits and Vegetables
    • Nutrient Intakes of Individuals Age 12 to 19
    • Many Adolescents Under Consume Key NutrientsA
      • All Children Exceed Recommendations for Added Fats, Sugars
    • Intake from the Pyramid Tip
      • Sweetened Beverages Contribute to Sugar Overload

Chapter 3 Patterns of Beverage Consumption

• Nutrient Composition of Popular Beverages
• Carbonated Soft Drink Consumption Has Soared
• Likelihood of Drinking Milk Declines with Age
• Beverages Commonly Consumed by Children
• Mean Daily Beverage Intakes, by Age, Gender
• Consumption of Sweetened Drinks Implicated in Childhood Obesity
• Beverage Choices Contribute to Nutrient Intakes
• Fruit Juice Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics
• The Importance of Dairy Consumption

Chapter 4 Food and Nutrition Changes Over Time

• Trends Among Children Ages 6 to 11
  • Grain Foods
  • Vegetables and Fruit
  • Milk, Dairy Foods and Other Beverages
  • Meat and Meat Alternates
  • Changes in Percentages of Children Using Selected Food Groups
  • Changes in Nutrient Intakes
• Adolescent Intake Trends
  • Grain Foods
  • Vegetables and Fruit
  • Milk, Dairy Foods and Other Beverages
  • Meat and Meat Alternates
  • Changes in Percentages of Children Using Selected Food Groups
  • Changes in Nutrient Intakes

Chapter 5 Contribution of Away from Home Eating

• Away from Home Eating Contributes One Third of a Child's Caloric Intake
• Popularity of Fast Food
• Nearly a Third of Children Eat Fast Food in a Day
• Away from Home Eating Influences Quality of Children's Diets
• Children Need to Trim Fat Intake, Especially Away From Home
• Children Consume Too Much Sodium, Too Little Fiber, Too Little Calcium
• Fast Food Consumption Contributes to Poor Diet Quality

Chapter 6 Mealtimes Matter

• Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
  • Breakfast Contributes to Dental Health, Scholastic Performance, Weight Maintenance
• Children Benefit from Family Meals
  • Positive Associations Between Family Meals and Dietary Quality
  • Frequency of Family Meals
  • Frequent Family Meals Contribute to Grain, Fruit, Vegetable, Dairy Consumption

Chapter 7 Comparing Intakes with Recommendations

• Disordered Eating Patterns
  • More than 40% of Daily Calories from Added Sugars, Fats
• Servings Consumed vs. Pyramid Recommendations
  • Mean Number of Pyramid Servings, by Age, Gender
• Recommended Daily Intake in Servings, and Measure or Weight
• Few Children Meet Pyramid Targets
  • Percent of Individuals (by Gender) Meeting Recommendations, by Food Group
  • Percent Consuming Specified Pyramid Servings, by Gender and Age

Chapter 8 Marketing and Consumer Confusion

• Parental nutrition awareness, attitudes, behavior
• Children's nutrition awareness, attitudes
• Success of intervention, education
• Who influences whom?
• The roles played by parents, kids, advertisers in influencing eating habits of children
• Marketing to Kids
  • In schools
  • Advertising directly to kids
  • Backlash

Chapter 9 Health Implications of Dietary Patterns

• Obesity
• Diabetes, Heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, asthma, osteoarthritis
• Increased risk/occurrence of bone fractures among children
• Risk of osteoporosis as adults
• Rickets
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• May see first generation of children w/ shorter lifespan than parents
• Evolving Eating Styles
  • Vegetarian
  • Snack attack
  • Fast food freaks

Chapter 10 Finger Pointing and Industry Response

• Fast food contributes to obesity, replaces more nutritious options
• Soda replaces dairy consumption, particularly among older kids
• Junk food in schools
• Snacking
• Portion distortion
• Added Sugars consumption
• Parental confusion, inaction
• Skipped meals contribute to overweight
• Media use / TV viewing
• Lack of exercise
• Government farm subsidies
• Who is to blame?
  • Opinions of activists, researchers, food and beverage marketers
• Industry Responds
  • Prepared Foods Manufacturers
  • Restaurants, Food Service Operators
  • Retailer efforts

Chapter 11 Role of Schools in Changing Dietary patterns

• School breakfast
  • Participation
• School lunch
  • Participation
• Beverage Contracts, Snacks, Sweets in Schools
• USDA test program to improve fruit, vegetable consumption

Chapter 12 Suggestions for Improvement

• Education
  • Start young, whole family approach, educate parents & kids
• Intervention
• Regulation
• Collaboration
  • Between food industry, communities, schools, governments
• Integration