Nestlé has published a report on nutrition habits and family lifestyles in Spain, based on a study conducted by market research firm IPSOS.
The study aims to highlight the issues surrounding childhood obesity in the country. Currently only 62% of Spanish children have a healthy weight - 12% are obese, 18% are overweight, and 8% are underweight.
However, 82% of parents surveyed said that they consider their child to have a normal weight.
Awareness
The report suggests that obesity in children is determined by poor eating habits, and also by the attitude of parents.
"In families there is still a lack of awareness and poor perception of the gravity of childhood obesity," said Dr Rafael Casas, a psychiatrist and expert in promoting health habits. To effectively prevent it, it is necessary to increase this awareness and, in turn, provide tools and information to families to achieve a healthier diet and lifestyle for their children."
Nutritional Information
Almost 70% of the parents surveyed said that they know how much fruit they should be giving their children, but only 17% actually provide it, according to the study. Meanwhile, 66% know the amount of vegetables, and 54% give their children the recommended amount.
"Parents are increasingly able to access all those nutrition issues. Never before has there been so much information about foods and how much the smallest ones in the house should eat," said Anabel Aragón, head of nutrition at Nestlé Spain.
"However, what is still an outstanding issue is bringing the experts' recommendations closer to everyday reality and to the current social context of families. We must be able to make it simple to apply nutritional recommendations and incorporate healthy eating habits into the daily routine. This will undoubtedly contribute to improving the health of children."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
