66.6% of Taiwanese children eat junk food weekly: survey

Taipei, Jan. 4 (CNA) A survey on Taiwanese children's dietary habits found that 66.6 percent eat fast food or deep-fried food at least once a week, while 54.4 percent consume sugary drinks weekly, the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) said Sunday.

The survey also showed that 16.3 percent of children eat fast food or deep-fried food at least three times a week, while 16.2 percent consume sugary drinks at the same frequency, according to the foundation.

In addition, 53 percent of children said they eat snacks or sweets at least three times a week, including 21.3 percent who reported consuming snacks almost every day.

The non-governmental organization warned that children who frequently consume fast food, deep-fried foods and sugary drinks are more likely to become obese, raising concerns that such dietary habits could increase long-term health risks.

The survey found that more than 1 out of 10 children eat breakfast fewer than 3 days a week. Among those who do eat breakfast, only 15.8 percent consume fruits or vegetables, while 18 percent have sugary drinks and 12.4 percent eat hot dogs or chicken nuggets.

As for dinner, 24.2 percent of children do not have a fixed mealtime, while 63.2 percent mainly consume carbohydrates without a balanced intake of protein and vegetables. Overall, 7.9 percent reported eating no vegetables at all, 12.3 percent consume fried foods and 11.1 percent drink sugary beverages.

While 74.9 percent of children said chatting with their parents during meals improves their mood, 30.1 percent reported rarely talking at the dinner table, and 12.4 percent said they are asked about schoolwork or reprimanded during meals, the foundation said.

Overall, 65 percent of children reported experiencing at least one physical discomfort over the past two weeks, including sleeping difficulties (48.4 percent), diarrhea (27.4 percent), skin allergies (25 percent) and constipation (15 percent). The foundation said dietary habits are a significant health risk factor.

The CWLF urged parents, schools and the government to work together to improve children's dietary environments.

It said parents should help children establish regular mealtimes, reduce consumption of sugary drinks, fried foods, processed meats and sweets, and foster a relaxed atmosphere during family meals.

Meanwhile, the government should strengthen food labeling management to help parents better understand sugar and additive content, while schools should enhance nutrition education so children develop a stronger understanding of healthy eating, the foundation said.

The survey collected 1,255 valid responses from fifth and sixth graders in Taiwan and has a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.76 percentage points.