A growing number of children are adopting unhealthy eating, exercise and other lifestyle habits, according to a new report, fuelling fears young Canadians will have a shorter average lifespan than their parents.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario released a report yesterday that compares the heart health of children across the province to those of a similar national survey conducted more than 10 years ago.
It found that fewer children are eating an adequate amount of fresh produce or maintaining physical activity during the winter months compared with the previous report. About three-quarters of children are consuming junk food as much as twice a week, and about 25 per cent of kids eat it more than three times a week, rates that have not improved since the last report was published in 1998.
“This is extremely disturbing given the rising tide of [being] overweight and obesity among Canadian children,” said Marco Di Buono, director of research for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.
The economic downturn may be exacerbating the problems. The survey found that nearly 25 per cent of families usually avoid buying staple foods, including meat, fresh produce and dairy, because of the high cost.
Another 48 per cent of families said they occasionally avoid such items because of the price.
There was one positive change noted in the latest survey: About half of children ate whole grain bread and cereals, compared with 33 per cent in 1998.
Nearly 2,000 parents of children aged 6 to 12 were questioned for the survey.
One major drawback to the findings is that the new report compares Ontario data with national statistics, which has the potential to skew the results.
Still, many health experts agree that children across the country face a dramatically higher risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems because of factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise.
A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in July found that risk factors for cardiovascular disease – such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes – rose as much as 260 per cent among Canadians aged 12 to 34 during a 10-year period that ended in 2005.
“This has now become a critical health issue,” Dr. Di Buono said.
One of the major reasons health experts are so concerned about unhealthy eating or exercise habits among children is that such patterns seem to have become ingrained in society, which has serious implications for the health of current and future generations. For instance, many Canadian children spend many hours a week in front of a computer or television, a lifestyle habit that is linked to obesity and other health-related problems.
It has also become harder for parents to navigate grocery stores and the myriad of health claims made by food manufacturers. As a result, many families eat prepared or processed meals that are often high in fat, calories or sodium.
Dr. Di Buono said that while it's important “not to vilify” the food industry, parents should read labels and watch for items that have little nutritional value. Another aspect of that problem is the fact many parents are convinced their kids will refuse to eat many fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods, he said.
“I think by and large there's a misperception that kids are finicky and difficult eaters,” he said. “Certainly it takes a child a lot longer to come around and adopt healthy behaviour … [but] they need to keep trying.”
