Nutritional status of young people

Citation

(2001), "Nutritional status of young people", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2001.01731bab.001

Nutritional status of young people

Nutritional status of young people

The recently released survey of the nutritional status of young people revealed that this is generally good but there were some subgroups where deficiencies occur. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey of young people aged four to 18 was commissioned by the MAFF and the Department of Health. Responsibility for this and other surveys in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey programme has now transferred to the Food Standards Agency. The Survey revealed that 27 per cent of girls and 13 per cent of boys had low ferritin, suggesting low iron stores and an increased risk of anaemia. Levels of vitamin C were generally good but were lowest in families receiving benefits, reflecting lower intakes of fruit and vegetables. Of 11 to 18 year olds, 13 per cent had low vitamin D status and 11 per cent of girls and 8 per cent of boys had high plasma cholesterol levels. Further analysis and research will be conducted on this data in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health. The government has established a cross department initiative to identify priority areas, set targets and co-ordinate the various initiatives arising from this report.