 | Fruit and vegetable intakes in children are well below recommended
levels |
| Fruit consumption in school going children has nearly halved since
1998 |
| Vegetable consumption has also declined since 1998 |
| Only 36% of school girls and 29% of school boys eat more than one
portion of fruit daily |
| Only 43% of school girls and 37% of school boys eat more than one
portion of vegetables daily |
| Fat Forty percent of children exceed the recommended daily allowance
(RDA) of fat |
| Irish adults consume 10 grams of salt per day, this is over fifty
percent higher han the national target of 6g per day and more than double
the RDA of 4g. (FSAI) |
| Processed meats and bread are the main sources of dietary salt,
contributing more than 50% of the daily salt intake in adults (FSAI) |
| Forty percent of the population die from heart disease |
| Twenty-five percent die from cancer |
| Thirty-nine percent of Irish adults are overweight and 18 percent are
obese |
| Levels of overweight and obese children in Ireland are higher than the
European average. |
| Twenty-two percent of 5 - 12 year olds are now overweight or obese |
| An obese child is more likely to be an obese adult |
| One fifth of Irish children’s energy intake from food comes from
sweets, snacks and biscuits |
| On average Irish children are consuming 2 glasses of soft drinks per
day |
| 51% of Irish children consume sweets, 37% drink fizzy drinks, 27%
consume crisps, 12% eat chips and 7% eat hamburgers at least once a day |
| Significant numbers of children have inadequate intakes of calcium,
iron, vitamins A, C, D, and folate |
| Levels of milk consumption are low with children consuming only half a
pint per day on average |
| The majority of younger post-primary school students stay in school
during lunchtime and are reliant on the food choices provided for them in
that environment |
| Healthy food choices are not supported in our post-primary schools
|
| Fast foods or convenience foods are the most common options in school
canteens |
| Sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks are available in 76% of canteens, 81% of
tuckshops and 88% of vending machines |
| Chocolate is by far the most common snack available |
Sources Salt Awareness Survey 2004 Report of the National Taskforce on
Obesity National Childrens Food Survey 2005 National Health and Lifestyle
Report 2003 FSAI Salt Report 2005 Our Children Their Future Why Weight
RedBranch School Lifestyle Surveys
Salt Awareness Survey Results Post primary school students, aged mainly
14 - 16. The survey found that while most (91%) were aware of a link between
salt and heart problems, at least two in three were not concerned about
their own salt intake. It also found that: -At least one in three had no
knowledge or awareness of the need to be cautious about salt and sugar. -55%
were unaware that people over the age of 14 should eat no more than six
grams of salt per day. -67% were not concerned about their salt intake,
indicating that while teenagers are aware of health risks in relation to
salt, they are not relating these risks to themselves. -65% of girls knew
that processed foods are a major source of salt, compared to just 41% of
boys. Salt Awareness Survey 2004
Fruit and vegetables are an important component of a healthy diet and, if
consumed daily in sufficient amounts, could help prevent major diseases such
as CVDs and certain cancers
low fruit and vegetable intake is estimated to cause about 31% of
ischaemic heart disease and 11% of stroke worldwide. Overall it is estimated
that up to 2.7 million lives could potentially be saved each year if fruit
and vegetable consumption was sufficiently increased.
