Parents are not feeding their children the right foods, with many not consuming the vitamins, iron and calcium they need to reach their mental and physical potential, according to a new survey.
The survey on children's diets, carried out by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance, reveals that 90 per cent of children's calories are consumed in the home.
It shows that 40 per cent of children are eating too much fat and one-fifth of the calories are coming from biscuits and other sugary high-fat treats.
The survey on 600 children in 20 schools shows that one girl in four and one boy in five in the five-12 age group is overweight or obese. The results show that a significant number of children are malnourished despite adequate or excessive calorie intake, because the processed foods in their diet contain inadequate essential nutrients.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan welcomed the report at a conference in Dublin yesterday and said the food industry had a significant role.
The survey says daily salt intake, mainly from processed meats and breads, is higher than levels recommended by the Food Safety Authority, which co-funded the research with the Department of Agriculture and Food.
Fresh fruit and vegetable intake is half of what it should be, with children eating on average only one 80g serving per day of vegetables and 1½ servings of fruit (including juice). Some children are eating no fresh fruit and vegetables, but parents have told researchers that accessibility and cost are not factors in their food choices.
Apart from sweets and biscuits, calories in the diet are mainly derived from bread and cereal (21 per cent), meat (mainly processed, 19 per cent) and dairy (21 per cent). Seven per cent comes from fruit juices and soft drinks, nearly as much as potatoes (8 per cent).
Milk consumption is low, depriving children of adequate calcium, while fibre is also deficient, partly because children are only eating white bread.
Their physical activity is relatively high, though they are watching nearly 20 hours of TV a week. Medical experts have warned that they are at increasing risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers in later life, due to poor nutrition resulting in obesity.
The steady rise in child overweight and obesity must be tackled urgently, said Dr Sinéad McCarthy of the department of clinical medicine at Trinity College Dublin.
"The home environment is critical in shaping eating behaviours and physical activity habits in this age group," she said. "We need to identify ways to help parents to create a healthier home environment for children."
Food eaten outside the home, including school lunches, counted for less than 10 per cent of calories consumed, making restaurant "fast food" insignificant in upwardly rising obesity.
Dr McCarthy described as "alarming" the tripling of obesity in girls in the past 15 years, from 5 to 14 per cent. Obesity in boys has increased far less, from 6 to 8 per cent.
Prof Albert Flynn of the department of nutritional science at University College Cork said clear guidelines were needed for children and their parents. They should focus on appropriate portion sizes, lower consumption of fat, salt and sugared drinks and higher intake of vegetables, fruit, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
The National Obesity Task Force has reported that 300,000 children here are overweight and blamed an "obesogenic" environment in which unhealthy foods are marketed to children.
