Experts have determined that parent's eating habits influence their children's diets. Now research reports that kids can also influence their parent's diet behavior. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that total fat intake should be 20 to 35 percent of total calories and saturated (harmful) fat intake should be less than 10 percent of total calories. However, the study found that parent's daily fat intake is about 5 grams higher than adults in childless households.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, compared the dietary fat intake between adults with and without children in the household. Researchers at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) including 6,660 US adults, ages 17 to 65, from 1988 to 1994. Researchers determined that 48 percent of the participants had minor children at home and 52 percent of the participants were in childless households. A food frequency questionnaire obtained from the participants was analyzed to determine total fat and calorie intake.
Researchers found that the participants with children at home ate more high-fat foods such as pizza, salty snacks and ice cream than participants in childless households. Findings revealed that parents ate about 5 grams more total fat and about 2 grams more saturated fat than those in childless households.
"The presence of children in the home may affect adults' diets," the study authors conclude. "Providers should emphasize dietary discretion for the entire family."
REFERENCES:
1. Laroche HH et al. Adult Fat Intake Associated with the Presence of Children in Households: Findings from NHANES III. J Am Board Fam Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;20(1):9-15.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on January 27, 2007 03:17 PM
