Changing eating and physical activity patterns of US children

The number of US children who are overweight has more than doubled over the last decade. This change has broadened the focus of dietary guidance for c hildren to address nutrient overconsumption and physical activity patterns. Total fat consumption expressed as a percentage of energy intake has decre ased among US children. However, this decrease is largely the result of inc reased total energy intake in the form of carbohydrates and not necessarily due to decreased fat consumption. The majority of children aged 5-17 years are not meeting recommendations for Ca intakes. Much of this deficit is at tributed to changing beverage consumption patterns, characterized by declin ing milk intakes and substantial increases in soft-drink consumption. On av erage, US children are not eating the recommended amounts of fruits and veg etables. US adolescents become less active as they get older, and one-quart er of all US children watch greater than or equal to 4 h television each da y, which is positively associated with increased BMI and skinfold thickness . There is an urgent need in the USA for effective prevention strategies ai med at helping children grow up with healthful eating and physical activity habits to achieve optimal health.