A healthy diet is characterized by a variety of food and a balanced energy intake, which should accompany every human being since early childhood. Unfortunately, excessive consumption of protein, fat, and lately sugar are very common in developed countries. Sugar intakes are not easily quantifiable and comparable among subjects. Therefore, we decide to analyze dietary patterns in children of different ages and diets (with and without gluten) using a food and nutrient database and a new application called the "Zuccherometro".Patients and methodsThis is a descriptive observational study conducted among children that are recruited consecutively either during a pediatric evaluation or through a school survey. Sociodemographic, nutritional and anthropometric data, degree of physical activity, and presence of medical conditions are collected. Dietary intake data are obtained by a 24 h recall diet.ResultsThe study analyzes 400 children: 213 girls and 187 boys. The majority of children (70.7%) are in normal weight range with similar extreme values (6.5% obese and 6.7% underweight). Celiac disease is diagnosed in 186 children. Caloric intakes are in line with the recommendations in all age-distributed groups with the exception of adolescents (11-17 years old), whose caloric intake is lower than recommendations. Protein intakes, on the contrary, are always exceeding recommendations and are significantly elevated in preschool children, (more than three times the population reference intakes). As for sugar intakes, all the children except the 11-17 years adolescents exceed the recommended cut off of 15% of daily calories. The same trend is obtained using the "Zuccherometro" that shows different percentages of age-stratified children exceeding the reference values: 1-3 years, 59% of children; 4-6 years, 68%; 7-10 years, 39.8%; 11-14 years, 25.5%; 15-17 years, 24.5%. The sugar load consists of both natural or added sugars (fructose and lactose) in food or beverages. Sugar intakes are more generously consumed by all age-stratified controls than by celiac children with the exception of the youngest ones (1-3 years old) and male adolescents.ConclusionSince high sugar intakes are constantly accompanying children during their growth, important dietary education and coordination between families and institutions are mandatory.

Sugar intake: are all children made of sugar? / Lucia Diani, Maria Luisa Forchielli. - In: LIFE. - ISSN 2075-1729. - ELETTRONICO. - 11:5(2021), pp. 444.1-444.12. [10.3390/life11050444]

Sugar intake: are all children made of sugar?

Maria Luisa Forchielli
Ultimo
2021

Abstract

A healthy diet is characterized by a variety of food and a balanced energy intake, which should accompany every human being since early childhood. Unfortunately, excessive consumption of protein, fat, and lately sugar are very common in developed countries. Sugar intakes are not easily quantifiable and comparable among subjects. Therefore, we decide to analyze dietary patterns in children of different ages and diets (with and without gluten) using a food and nutrient database and a new application called the "Zuccherometro".Patients and methodsThis is a descriptive observational study conducted among children that are recruited consecutively either during a pediatric evaluation or through a school survey. Sociodemographic, nutritional and anthropometric data, degree of physical activity, and presence of medical conditions are collected. Dietary intake data are obtained by a 24 h recall diet.ResultsThe study analyzes 400 children: 213 girls and 187 boys. The majority of children (70.7%) are in normal weight range with similar extreme values (6.5% obese and 6.7% underweight). Celiac disease is diagnosed in 186 children. Caloric intakes are in line with the recommendations in all age-distributed groups with the exception of adolescents (11-17 years old), whose caloric intake is lower than recommendations. Protein intakes, on the contrary, are always exceeding recommendations and are significantly elevated in preschool children, (more than three times the population reference intakes). As for sugar intakes, all the children except the 11-17 years adolescents exceed the recommended cut off of 15% of daily calories. The same trend is obtained using the "Zuccherometro" that shows different percentages of age-stratified children exceeding the reference values: 1-3 years, 59% of children; 4-6 years, 68%; 7-10 years, 39.8%; 11-14 years, 25.5%; 15-17 years, 24.5%. The sugar load consists of both natural or added sugars (fructose and lactose) in food or beverages. Sugar intakes are more generously consumed by all age-stratified controls than by celiac children with the exception of the youngest ones (1-3 years old) and male adolescents.ConclusionSince high sugar intakes are constantly accompanying children during their growth, important dietary education and coordination between families and institutions are mandatory.
2021
Sugar intake: are all children made of sugar? / Lucia Diani, Maria Luisa Forchielli. - In: LIFE. - ISSN 2075-1729. - ELETTRONICO. - 11:5(2021), pp. 444.1-444.12. [10.3390/life11050444]
Lucia Diani, Maria Luisa Forchielli
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
life-11-00444(3).pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: intero lavoro
Tipo: Versione (PDF) editoriale
Licenza: Licenza per Accesso Aperto. Creative Commons Attribuzione (CCBY)
Dimensione 245.71 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
245.71 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/857123
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 3
  • Scopus 8
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 7
social impact