Cross‐sectional survey of daily junk food consumption, irregular eating, mental and physical health and parenting style of British secondary school children

Abstract

A worrying proportion of secondary school children report unhealthy eating behaviours, particularly daily consumption of junk food, which may be associated with poorer mental and physical health. Parenting style may influence dietary habits. Interventions to improve diet may be more beneficial if also they address parenting strategies and issues related to mental and physical health.

Relationship among attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder, dietary behaviours and obesity

“…; Zahra et al . ). It has been proposed that the impulsivity and poor behavioural regulation that often occur in youths with ADHD may lead to eating patterns that put those youths at increased risk for obesity (Agranat‐Meged et al .…”

Mental health and food consumption among California children 5–11 years of age

“…Parents play a significant role in influencing and promoting healthy eating habits (Zahra et al, 2014). However, nearly 40% of children with poor mental health were living with single parents (see Table 1).…”

Independent decision making of adolescents regarding food choice

“…It is the cornerstone in the prevention of numerous health related conditions including obesity, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure (Haines, Wan, Lynn, Barrett, & Shield, ; Public Health Agency, ). However adolescents’ diets in the UK tend to fall short of dietary recommendations with excess levels of saturated fat, sugar and sodium and low fruit and vegetable consumption (Bates et al, ) coupled with the inclusion of nutrient‐poor ‘fast foods’ (Zahra, Ford, & Jodrell, ). Poor dietary patterns at a young age can have significant implications for health and well‐being in adulthood (Shepherd et al, ; Story, Neumark‐Sztainer, & French, ; Videon & Manning, ) as patterns developed at this stage of life tend to persist (Mikkilä, Räsänen, Raitakari, Pietinen, & Viikari, ).…”