Research Sheds Light On Diverse Eating Patterns Of Overweight And Normal Weight Children

A study by Norwegian researchers has found that, compared to normal weight children, overweight children say they more frequently eat healthy foods like fruit, vegetables, fish, brown bread and potatoes as well as low-energy cheese and yogurt, mainly because overweight kids and their parents are more aware of healthy food choices. The study was conducted in 2007 among 924 9-10 year olds. The study found that overweight children tended to drink juice and artificially sweetened soft drinks more often, while normal weight children were more likely to drink carbonated drinks and eat unhealthy foods and processed foods such as burgers, sausages, biscuits, processed pizza and sweets. Lastly, overweight children are less physically active and more likely to have obese parents than normal weight children.