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January 2004 What
are kids eating? With
the increasing amount of advertising stimuli that bombards our everyday lives,
it's common knowledge that kids of today have very different eating habits than
in the past. But to what extent exactly has the catchy jingle, the colourful packaging,
and the free card with purchase influenced our kids? Latest national research
has revealed that 6-13 year olds are more likely to have eaten chocolate than
cheese, or biscuits than fruits in the last week.
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In exploring
what types of foods are eaten by children aged 6-13 years old, results found that
most had a fairly balanced diet, including the main food groups. Nonetheless,
it is concerning to note that 1 in 10 kids did not have a single serving of vegetables
during the week. The
most popular fruit consumed was apples at 76%, however, this was less than those
claiming to eat biscuits (84%), chips (77%), and chocolate and lollies (85%).
This is a concerning result which suggests that although kids are eating carbohydrates,
protein, calcium, and other nutrients, they are also consuming excessive fats
and sugars, and not getting enough fruit in their diet. Another
concern is the relatively high proportion of kids (7 out of 10) who had visited
a fast food outlet in the previous week, particularly amongst boys. This high
level of fast food consumption adds weight to the growing concern about the escalating
rates of childhood obesity. Graph
1. Percentage of 6-13 year old kids having eaten these items in the previous week.
| The
study also explored children's meal eating habits, and found that most children
(9 out of 10) habitually eat the three most important meals of the day - breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. However, the study revealed that as kids grow older, there
is an increasing tendency to skip breakfast. This was especially notable for 12-13
year old girls, who were the most likely to skip breakfast with nearly 30% claiming
to have not eaten breakfast the day before. Results
also revealed that morning snacks (74%) and afternoon snacks (86%) were also frequently
consumed with little difference across age groups or gender. Graph
2. Percentage of 6-13 year old kids eating each meal the previous day. |
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How
This Research Was Conducted
This topic was included in the ongoing
Australian Kids Consumer Insights research program conducted by McNair Ingenuity
Research in August 2003. The survey was conducted by means of a combination telephone
interview and self-completion survey amongst 365 kids across Australia. The
above information is copyright to McNair Ingenuity Research and must be clearly
acknowledged to McNair Ingenuity Research. For more information contact Matt Balogh
ph 02 9966 9133. See
other releases from The Australian's Today series at: www.mcnairingenuity.com.
For more information, contact Matt Balogh or Lan Tran on 02 9966 9133 or email
mbalogh@mcnairingenuity.com |
| You
can learn more about McNair Ingenuity Research by visiting www.mcnairingenuity.com
or calling Client Services Director Matt Balogh on 02 9966 9133 |
 |
McNair Ingenuity Research Pty Ltd ACN.
096 437 991 Level 4, 270 Pacific Highway, Crows Nest, NSW, 2065 Phone: +61 2 9966
9133 Fax: +61 2 9966 9277 www.mcnairingenuity.com | | |
