Parents with higher educational level give eating their children less fat and sugar.

– the study involved nearly 15,000 children between two and nine years of age

Spain, April of 2013.- an international group of experts from eight European countries analysed if there is any relation between the educational level of the parents and the frequency with that their children consume foods linked with being overweight.

The study identification and prevention of health effects induced by diet and lifestyle in children (IDEFICS, for its acronym in English) includes data from 14.426 children aged between two and nine years from eight European countries: Italy, Estonia, CyprusBelgium, Sweden, Hungary, Germany and Spain.

The results, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, confirm that parents with fewer studies give their children foods high in sugars and fats more often than those who possess a higher educational level, to feed their children more products of high nutritional quality, such as vegetables, fruit, pastarice, and whole wheat bread.

The greatest differences between families of different educational levels were observed in the consumption of fruits, vegetables and sugar-sweetened drinks ”, explains to SINC Juan Miguel Fernández Alvira, author of the work and research of the University of Zaragoza.

for authors, this results in an increased risk of developing obesity and overweight in children from disadvantaged socio-cultural strata.

Programs of the childhood obesity prevention through the promotion of healthy eating should address special and specifically those socio-economically disadvantaged groups, aiming to minimize health inequalities ”, concludes Fernández Alvira.

Nutrition in children

Children – of the two to fourteen years – is a period of growth in which increase the demands for energy and nutrients. However, the World Health Organization warns of the importance of controlling the feeding of children, since approximately 40 million children under five years old they were overweight in 2010.

In fact, recommendations for children older than two years are not very different from those that apply to adults. Cereals, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs and nuts should be included in your diet.

Dietitians and nutritionists recommend parents to offer a wide variety of foods and avoid using food as a way to reward or punish behavior. Experts believe that at this age already is can decide which portion, when foods are healthy and nutritious.