Kids get 12 percent of daily calories from fast food

Children and teenagers get an average 12.4 percent of their daily calories from fast food, said the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the CDC. In a data brief, the agency said that in the two-year period it studied, teenagers consumed nearly 17 percent of their calories as fast food, compared to less than 9 percent for children aged from 2-11. The data brief covered 2011 and 2012. “From 1994 through 2006, caloric intake from fast food increased from 10 percent to 13 percent among children aged 2-18 years,” said NCHS. The researchers said fast food has been associated with weight gain and poorer diet quality.

A clinical dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital told USA Today that the report showed children eat the equivalent of a small fast-food hamburger every day. The American Academy of Pediatricians credited clever marketing for drawing in customers.

Exit mobile version