Abstract
Objective
The objective of this research was to identify top dietary sources of energy, solid
fats, and added sugars among 2- to 18-year-olds in the United States.
Methods
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional
study, were used to examine food sources (percentage contribution and mean intake
with standard errors) of total energy (data from 2005-2006) and energy from solid
fats and added sugars (data from 2003-2004). Differences were investigated by age,
sex, race/ethnicity, and family income, and the consumption of empty calories—defined
as the sum of energy from solid fats and added sugars—was compared with the corresponding
discretionary calorie allowance.
Results
The top sources of energy for 2- to 18-year-olds were grain desserts (138 kcal/day),
pizza (136 kcal/day), and soda (118 kcal/day). Sugar-sweetened beverages (soda and
fruit drinks combined) provided 173 kcal/day. Major contributors varied by age, sex,
race/ethnicity, and income. Nearly 40% of total energy consumed (798 of 2,027 kcal/day)
by 2- to 18-year-olds were in the form of empty calories (433 kcal from solid fat
and 365 kcal from added sugars). Consumption of empty calories far exceeded the corresponding
discretionary calorie allowance for all sex–age groups (which range from 8% to 20%).
Half of empty calories came from six foods: soda, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, grain
desserts, pizza, and whole milk.
Conclusions
There is an overlap between the major sources of energy and empty calories: soda,
grain desserts, pizza, and whole milk. The landscape of choices available to children
and adolescents must change to provide fewer unhealthy foods and more healthy foods
with less energy. Identifying top sources of energy and empty calories can provide
targets for changes in the marketplace and food environment. However, product reformulation
alone is not sufficient—the flow of empty calories into the food supply must be reduced.
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Biography
J. Reedy is a nutritionist, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
Biography
S. M. Krebs-Smith is chief, Risk Factor Monitoring and Methods Branch in the Applied Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 6,
2010
Footnotes
Meets Learning Need Codes 2030, 3000, and 4000. To take the Continuing Professional Education quiz for this article, log in to ADA's Online Business Center at www.eatright.org/obc, click the “Journal Article Quiz” button, click “Additional Journal CPE Articles,” and select this article's title from a list of available quizzes.
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Labeling Solid Fats and Added Sugars As Empty CaloriesJournal of the American Dietetic AssociationVol. 111Issue 2
- PreviewMy purpose is to question the logic of grouping solids fats with added sugars and labeling the combination as empty calories. These terms are used extensively in the Journal's October 2010 research paper by Reedy and Krebs-Smith (1). The authors determined that about 54% of the empty calories consumed by children and adolescents were from solid fats and 46% were from added sugars.
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