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Children from poorer areas have poorer diet, finds report

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Published Date: 22 January 2009
By LYNDSAY MOSS
CHILDREN from deprived areas eat more junk food and are less likely to eat fruit and vegetables and take exercise, research revealed yesterday.
The Growing Up In Scotland report, commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2003, found 41 per cent of four-year-olds in poorer areas had eaten a takeaway in the past week, compared with 23 per cent of children in affluent areas.

They were also less likely to eat four or more types of fruit and vegetables a day and more likely to eat sugary snacks and drinks.

The research, involving 5,000 children, found 29 per cent of children with low levels of physical activity lived in the most deprived areas, compared to 14 per cent from the richest.

Children's minister Adam Ingram said: "Scotland's future depends on its young people, yet for too many their life chances are determined early on by factors beyond their control."





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  • Last Updated: 21 January 2009 9:45 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Children's Diet
 
1

Joel,

Florida 22/01/2009 02:31:16
The research also established beyond reasonable doubt that brussel sprouts - not carrots - improve eyesight!
2

,

22/01/2009 08:11:44
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

feta man,

Edinburgh 22/01/2009 08:15:15
Talk about stating the bleeding obvious! Of course children from poorer areas have a worse diet. It's just common sense.
4

gus1940,

Edinburgh 22/01/2009 08:15:24
Does this surprise anybody?
5

Gdgy,

22/01/2009 08:23:11
#3 &4 It's not about surprising anyone..it is about finding out what is really happening rather than making assumptions about probelms that don't exist then creating expensive policy or allocating funds to try and change this percieved probelm...why are the poorer kids having less exercise? That is not obvious or common sense
6

IanW,

Somewhere 22/01/2009 09:05:50
Gdgy #5 - I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to see at least some of the reasons why the children from poorer areas take less exercise.

I would suggest that a lot of it has to do with parental examples. In general those from poorer areas do not have the financial means to go out on a regular basis to do sport, etc. This means that the parents stay at home thus setting inadvertently a 'bad' example to the children, i.e. it is the 'norm' to stay at home.

When a child is brought up in such an environment their mind set becomes the same as the parent on such matters thus perpetuating the problem.

One solution would be to ensure that in schools the old idea of compulsory sport at least twice a week should be brought back. Children need to be educated in the fact that many sporting activities do not need a large financial input, e.g. hill walking or football or even cricket. Some of these activities can be done in a casual manner on open play areas, if the local authorities lift their ill thought bans on such sports.

When I was young my parents almost forced me to go out and play, telling me to get fresh air as it was good for me. We would regularly have 'football' or rounders matches with anything up to 20 a side with the goals, etc. marked with jackets, etc.

What I am saying is that has much to do with the mind set rather than the level of income.
7

RobynW,

Aberdeen 22/01/2009 09:40:13
"Children from poorer areas have poorer diets".

No sh!t, Sherlock!

I was in Tesco the other night and almost every special offer they had was on cakes, biscuits and generally unhealthy foods and snack items and only one or 2 on fruit, veg or meats. Maybe if they made it as cheap to eat an apple or orange or a good steak as it is to eat a mars bar or takeaway, then the situation might improve.

I understand that the problem is much more complex than affordability, but it would be a start.
8

donald,

glasgow 22/01/2009 09:52:46
Talk about stating the obvious. Will we have a report that Labour are Tories?
9

écossais at heart,

france 22/01/2009 10:19:31
Indeed, what a scoop!
10

Scimitar1,

22/01/2009 10:55:28
Proof that bad parenting is the root cause here.
11

G,

dundy 22/01/2009 12:50:24
#6 - great example...you have used this research to back up your own personal values and prejudices...of course it is obvious when you see the results...what this research does it give us a snap shot of the situation at the moment and then allow us to think up policy that will help....rather than deciding that the problem is....not enough army cadets....(example)
And #7 my tescos is advertising cheaper deals on fruit and veg every week...the problem is to get people to buy them.....
12

,

22/01/2009 13:00:45
Comment Removed By Administrator
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13

Waitamin,

22/01/2009 13:27:08
#6 I agree that it has a lot to do with parental example, but I would disagree that the problem stems entirely from lack of financial resources. Habit, expectation and peer pressure are also significant factors.

I live in a very mixed area (those on lower incomes and those with middle class incomes) and I'll tell you now that it is the former who are in the local pub every Friday and Saturday night - not the latter. And, I would hazard a guess that around 75% of the pub-goers also smoke. This is not a perjorative statement by the way, it is just my observation. The choice is made to spend what income is available in the pub on unhealthy pursuits rather than on improving lifestyle! To be fair, the pub is more fun and when it is a close knit community, it is actually quite difficult to pull yourself away from that - that's where the peer pressure comes in.

As for how you change those habits and expectations, I am not sure. More Sports Facilities available to all would be a great start but I know from my own experience that kid's sports clubs are under increasing pressure from the ridiculous hoops that you have to go to in terms of being 'registered' to take them. It's hardly an incentive to get involved and get these key projects up and runnin.

 

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