The influence of unhealthy snacks on children's body weight

Abstract

Background:Snacks play a crucial role in achieving a well-balanced daily nutrient intake. Children should have three meals a day and 2-3 snacks. The type and frequency of snacks can significantly affect their nutritional status.

Aim:Examining how children's body weight correlates with unhealthy snacking habits.

Methods:This article presents findings from a descriptive cross-sectional investigation. Data regarding dietary behaviors and physical metrics were obtained from the medical records of patients seen at five dental clinics associated with the School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Employing age and gender-specific growth charts, the body mass index (BMI) was computed to categorize children's nutritional status. Subsequently, the correlation between children's dietary habits and their BMI category was analyzed.

Results:In this study 267 children were classified according to their frequency of consuming sweet snacks (such as biscuits, cakes, and chocolate) and salty snacks (like chips and flips). A significant relationship was found between BMI and gender, BMI and age, as well as BMI and eating habits. Boys showed a greater BMI compared to girls (p=0.026). School children displayed a notably higher incidence of overweight and obesity in contrast to preschool children (p=0.009). There were significantly more overweight and obese children in the group who consume sweet and salty snacks daily (p<0.001) compared to children who consume them weekly.

Conclusion:Daily intake of unhealthy snacks, like sweet and salty treats, heightens the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.