There is a lot of good-quality evidence that eating and drinking habits established during childhood can continue for many years into adulthood. So while bad eating habits in childhood may not pose an immediate health risk, they could lead to serious health problems in adulthood.
Four important things to consider are:
- the amount of salt your child eats
- how much fat they eat
- how much sugar they eat
- the amount of exercise they do
Salt
Eating high levels of salt in childhood has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke in adulthood.
The current recommended limits of salt for children are:
- for children aged 0-6 months: less than 1g of salt a day
- for children aged 7-12 months: 1g a day
- for children aged 1-3 years: 2g a day
- for children aged 4-6 years: 3g a day
- for children aged 7-10 years: 5g a day
- for children aged 11-14 years: 6g a day
It is easy to underestimate how much salt is contained in food. For example, a Happy Meal containing small fries, a hamburger and a coke contains 1.8g of salt, which is over half the recommended daily limit for a five-year-old.
Pre-packaged and ready-to-eat foods (especially those not specifically designed for children) contain high levels of salt. For example, a 200g tin of tomato soup contains 1.4g of salt.
Check the label of any foods you give your child so you can keep an eye on their daily salt consumption.
Fats and sugar
Limit the amount of saturated fat and sugar your child eats. Too much of these can lead to high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure in later life. They can also increase your child's risk of becoming overweight or obese, and a diet high in sugar can cause tooth decay.
Children’s foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar include:
- chocolate
- sweets
- fast food such as burgers or chicken nuggets
- fizzy drinks
- ice cream
- biscuits
- crisps
- processed foods, such as microwave meals, hot dogs and breakfast cereals that contain additional sugar
Exercise
Most children are naturally active and full of energy. However, as many of today's pastimes are inactive, such as watching TV and playing computer games, many children do not get the exercise they need.
It is now recommended that:
- Children (under 5 years) who can walk unaided should be physically active every day for at least 180 minutes (3 hours), spread throughout the day, indoors or out.
- Children and young people (5 to 18 years) should do at least 60 minutes (1 hour) of aerobic activity every day, which should include a mix of moderate-intensity (i.e. fast walking) and vigorous-intensity (i.e. running) activities.
This amount of exercise is enough to strengthen bones and muscles and can help prevent children putting on weight.
There are many different ways for children to exercise. Simply walking or cycling to school is a good way to start. Team sports can also be great fun and can improve co-ordination, balance and team skills.
Most community sports centres run team activities for children, such as football, basketball and volleyball. Ask your local sports centre for more information.
If your children do not like team sports, there are plenty of other fun activities for them to try, such as swimming, dance and martial arts.
For more information on how to help your children stay healthy and happy, see the Birth to five planner and the Live well section on Child health: 6-15.
