A group at the University of Michigan asked more than 1,700 parents about their ‘records’ on supervising their kids eating habits. The result was a shocking ‘fail’ by a majority of parents, whether they believed that eating healthy was important or not. They cited many reasons why…
About one in five study participants said it was not important to limit
their kids’ access to fast food and junk food…
So… It turns out that only one in six of the parents polled for University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health believe their kids’ diets are healthy. That’s so sad! Also, a little frightening…
A variety of ‘common challenges’ contribute to the failure of parents to get kids to eat healthy. according to Poll supervisor Sarah Clark.
“Most parents understand that they should provide healthy food for their children, but the reality of work schedules, children’s activities and different food preferences can make meal preparation a hectic and frustrating experience,” Clark notes. “The tension between buying foods children like, and buying foods that are healthy, can be an ongoing struggle. Many of us know the feeling of spending time and money on a healthy meal only to have our children grimace at the sight of it and not take a single bite.”
At the bottom of the range, the survey found that about one in five parents asked said they didn’t think it was important to limit fast food and junk food, limit sugary drinks, provide a varied diet or make sure their kids eat veggies every day. Who are these people?
Some poll participants noted that it’s hard to tell which foods are healthy, even with Nutrition Facts labeling, and sugar-free on food labels and packaging, which respondents felt were not used consistently.
Others said they believed that ‘healthy’ foods were too expensive.
Still others said their hectic lifestyles made it impossible to provide supervision to their kids, even at evening meal times.
The survey’s recommendations?
“Most parents want their children to eat as healthy as possible but may need help making that happen,” Clark says. “Some parents need help with shopping, meal preparation, or other household chores so that mealtimes are not so hectic. Others would benefit from easy-to-understand information on how to identify packaged foods that are healthy, ideas on how to make kid-friendly recipes a little healthier, and practical suggestions on convincing picky eaters to try a more balanced diet.”
Where do you fit in on the survey?
~ Maggie J.