Nutritional Intakes of Obese Elementary School Children Residing in the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori, Japan

Abstract

This research examined the lifestyles and eating habits of 42 elementary school fifthgraders (20 boys and 22 girls) over a 3-day period;these childrenresided in the Shimokita Peninsula, Aomori prefecture, which has the highest childhood obesity ratein Japan. The children's nutritional intakeswere recordedvia questionnaires and self-documented meal record diaries over a 3-day period (1weekday and the weekend). The meal record diaries recordedwhichmeals the children ate (including snacks) duringthe 3-day period. A regular feature of these children's lifestylewasthe viewing of at least 3 hours of television per day. Compared withthe National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted by the Japanese government,the nutritional and energy intake levels were the same but when we examined food group intakes, the vegetable intake was lower on weekends in comparison to the weekdays when the children were provided school lunches. In addition, salt intake exceeded the recommended standard in more than80% of the study sample. We suggest that the pattern of reduced vegetable intake juxtaposed with high salt intake stems from childhood and is repeated and passed down through generations; therefore,the guardians of these children require nutritional guidance and education.