CHANGING EATING PATTERNS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN - A VIEW FROM 1996

A major diet-related problem in the US has changed from growth retarda tion to childhood obesity. This paper compares the consumption pattern s of children using data from nationally representative surveys conduc ted by the US Department of Agriculture from 1986 to 1994. Children's consumption patterns were analyzed by age groups, income groups and fo od security levels. From 1986 to 1994, no distinct trends of the energ y intakes of children 5 years of age and under were observed. In 1994, a greater percentage of children were meeting the dietary guidelines for fat and saturated fat than in 1989-91. However, most of the childr en's diets in each sex/age category still exceeds the dietary guidelin e's recommendations.