Tamara Thomas

Urban Health Today

Home food availability can influence a child&#8217;s diet and health. As kids get older, there is often more unhealthy food and drinks available at home, according to a study published in Public Health Nutrition.
For this study, Dr. Jennifer Barton and colleagues sought to determine whether food at home is connected to what the kids eat and the nutrients they get over time.
According to Dr. Barton, &#8220;It&#8217;s important to understand how the environments that children are in can influence their diet and nutrition. What types of foods and beverages are available in the home, and how accessible are those items for the young child? &#8220;
The study included 468 mother-child pairs living in Central Illinois, USA. The researchers used the Home Food Inventory checklist to see what food was available at home for the kids when they were 2, 3, and 4 years old. 
Dr. Barton and the team also focused on each food&#8217;s &#8220;obesogenic score,&#8221; which assesses how much a particular food adds to a child&#8217;s chances of becoming obese.
All the study participants were part of an ongoing STRONG Kids study, tracking children&#8217;s nutrition from infancy to age 10.  
The study found a worrying trend as children tend to consume less nutritious and more unhealthy food and beverages as they get older. The researchers observed an increase in the overall &#8220;obesogenic score&#8221; of foods available in the average household between the ages of 2 and 4. Specifically, the study found a rise in candy and microwavable/quick-cook meals in homes with children at 3 and 4 years old, compared to when the children were 2.
&#8220;It makes sense that as children get older, the presence of more energy-dense and high-fat foods tends to grow,&#8221; Dr. Barton said in a university news release. &#8220;Children may request these foods more often, and outside influences, such as the opinions of peers, are starting to become more apparent.&#8221;
The researchers suggest that the shift towards more unhealthy options might be due to parents finding them more readily available or simply purchasing them more often. According to the study. having more of these unhealthy options at home led to higher &#8220;obesogenic scores.&#8221;
There were, however, some positive findings. The study also observed an increase in the availability of fruits and vegetables in homes with 4-year-olds. This is encouraging, as it suggests children are exposed to more vegetables as they age.
&#8220;The point is not to label certain foods as being good or bad,&#8221; Dr. Barton said. &#8220;We likely all have food items in our home that are not &#8216;recommended.&#8217; It&#8217;s really about trying to make sure that we get enough nutritious, recommended foods and eat the non-recommended items in moderation.&#8221; 

Source: <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-03-18/household-foods-get-less-healthy-as-babies-age-into-toddlers">HealthDay</a>
Journal source: <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/longitudinal-changes-in-home-food-availability-and-concurrent-associations-with-food-and-nutrient-intake-among-children-at-2448-months/6F338B816DA7546C83E4B8A62E241525">Public Health Nutrition</a>

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Study Shows Rise in Unhealthy Food Options as  Kids Get Older

The study found a worrying trend as children tend to consume less nutritious and more unhealthy food and beverages as they get older.