Recent research by UNCFRP team members and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health researchers finds evidence of a decline in U.S. children’s reported energy intake in the early 2000s that is consistent with the previously identified obesity plateau that occurred in children in the early 2000s. It’s not all good news, though: the team found that by the end of the 2000s (2009-10, specifically) reported energy intake for adolescents had increased.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Michelle Mendez, discussed the research in an interview with Dr. Marie Benz of MedicalResearch.com. Dr. Mendez says,
These findings highlight the need for continued vigilance, and for more research to identify effective strategies–including dietary approaches–to improve nutrition throughout childhood and adolescence.
Read the article, titled Shifts in the Recent Distribution of Energy Intake among U.S. Children Aged 2-18 Years Reflect Potential Abatement of Earlier Declining Trends, here (PDF). Read more of the interview with Dr. Mendez here.