User:Mnr4217

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are failing to meet the recommended amount of the essential fruits and vegetables that they should eat daily (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). More specifically, The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2010) explained that in 2007, 60% of children did not meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Patterns fruit intake recommendations, and 93% did not meet vegetable recommendations (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010). This inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables has become evident in recent years in the quality of children’s diets and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the poor diet patterns, and food choice from childhood moves into adulthood, which reiterates the purpose of why children and parents need to be more informed of the benefits of fruits and vegetables in the early stages of childhood (Pearson, 2009).

References: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). Children eating more fruit, but fruit and vegetable intake still too low. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0805-fruits-vegetables.html

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2010). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010.asp

Pearson, N., Biddle, S. JH. and Gorely, T. (2009). Family correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Public Health Nutrition, 12, pp 267-28. doi:10.1017/S1368980008002589