Fewer than half of Grade 9 students eat breakfast on a daily basis, according to a new study that confirms adolescents are filling up on junk food rather than recommended portions of fruits and vegetables.
The study by researchers at the University of Guelph reported that fewer than one-quarter of adolescents eat enough fruits and vegetables and that more than 35 per cent of them are above normal weight.
Students eat, on average, more than three daily servings of foods from the "other" group, which includes soft drinks, french fries and snack foods, Professor Susan Evers found in one of the first long-term studies of its kind.
"It's disturbing to see this happening in a younger population, because obesity is a risk factor for diseases that we think of as affecting the middle-aged population," said Evers, of the university's Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition.
"These students' lifestyles are predisposing them to risk factors for heart disease and diabetes," she said in a written statement.
The researchers found that if students started developing bad eating and physical activity habits in Grade 6, those habits only worsened by Grade 9.
Two-thirds of the boys and girls in Grade 6 were eating breakfast every day, and that dropped to 48 per cent for the boys and 45 per cent for the girls by Grade 9.
"Adolescents who skip breakfast don't usually make up the nutrients they miss later in the day so they have a higher risk of nutrient inadequacies," said Evers. "Missing breakfast also makes it difficult for students to concentrate in school because of a lack of energy."
About nine per cent of the 10-and 11-year-olds were meeting all the food-group recommendations in 1992 Canada's Food Guide, but that figure dropped to a mere three per cent by the time they reached Grade 9.
Physical activity habits also worsened as students got older. In Grade 6, 64 per cent of boys and 45 per cent of girls played a sport without a coach four or more times a week.
Grade 6 students dedicate nearly four hours a day to watching television and playing video games, according to the results of the study.
By Grade 9, 15-per-cent fewer boys and 20-per-cent fewer girls were playing sports. A statistic wasn't available for the time they spent on TV and video games.
"We have to encourage daily physical activity and the adoption of healthy eating behaviours, especially among female adolescents. By increasing the availability of breakfast programs and making provincial guidelines around school nutrition programs and foods sold in vending machines a priority, we would see a big difference in the health of these young people."
When the study participants were in Grade 6, (males, females), 15.6 per cent of males and 21.2 per cent of females were at risk of being overweight; while 19.3 per cent of males and 14.9 per cent of females were actually overweight.
By Grade 9, 18 per cent of boys were at risk of being overweight and 26 per cent of girls, while 17 per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls were already overweight.
The study also showed that it was important that professionals measure youths' weights, as their self-reported weight varied from their actual measurements.
Only seven per cent of Grade 9 males and 9 per cent of females reported they were at risk of being overweight while only five per cent of each gender reported they were overweight.
Evers and her research team analyzed surveys completed by the same group of 681 study participants, who are from low-income neighbourhoods throughout southern Ontario taking part in the provincially funded Better Beginnings, Better Futures initiative.
Strategies recommended by the researchers include an increase in the availability of breakfast programs for students, as well as more opportunities for physical activity at schools and in low-income communities.
While the students were from low-income neighbourhoods, the problem of obesity and poor eating habits "are common to youth regardless of household income," Evers told CTV.ca by email.
"Low income households obviously may simply be unable to buy the foods considered part of a 'healthy diet'," she said, noting that fruits and vegetables are expensive.
"But, I did a survey a few years ago in Perth County with both elementary and high school students from all income levels," she said.
Evers found the same thing: "Low intake of fruits and vegetables, high intake of 'other foods' (regular soft drinks, french fries, candy, snack foods, etc).
"As well, the proportion of those overweight crosses income levels. So, while lack of money is a significant barrier to healthy eating in low income communities, the problem is widespread."
