The relation between the intake of added sugars and other nutrients was examined by analysing the diet of 405 English children aged 11–14 years. For each sex, the nutrient intake of the 30 subjects with the highest intake of added sugars in proportion to energy intake (g/MJ) was compared with the nutrient intake of the 30 subjects with the lowest intake of added sugars in proportion to energy intake. Those eating the highest amount of added sugars consumed less protein and vitamin D compared with those who ate the lowest amounts of added sugars.



Some differences in the nutrient intakes of the high and low added sugar groups were observed for girls only, and non-significant trends were observed in both sexes, tending to suggest that those consuming diets containing low levels of added sugars in proportion to energy (a low preference for sugar) ate a more nutrient-dense diet and, to some extent, supported the concept of ‘empty calories’. However, when sugars intake was expressed as g weight (and not in proportion to energy), energy intake and consumption of most nutrients were considerably higher in those eating high levels of added sugars, probably because of their higher intake of foods in general.

Empty calories? Nutrient intake in relation to sugar intake in English adolescents

SummaryThis report is of a two-year longitudinal study of dietary intake and growth in height and weight of 405 children, initially aged 11–12 years. Between 1979 and 1981 they each recorded their food intake on five occasions for three consecutive days using a diet diary with a 20 min private interview on the fourth day. Computerized food tables were used. Social class was recorded.The usual differences in height, weight and growth increments between the social classes were found. There were no significant differences in nutrient intake between social classes. Within a social class there were few statistically significant correlations between energy or protein intake and height or weight increments. It was concluded that a very high reliability of food intake measurements would be required in order to relate diet to growth and many other factors (e.g. energy expenditure, body composition and puberty) may also mask any such relationship. Social class alone would seem an inadequate means of allowing for su...

A two-year longitudinal study of dietary intake in relation to the growth of 405 English children initially aged 11-12 years.

SUMMARY Introduction: In Colombia the decrease of malnutrition documented by surveys is associated with the decrease in infectious diseases and increase consumption of fats and sugar representing half caloric intake and increasing the risk of other nutrients deficiencies. The permanence of low stature in populations satisfying macronutrient requirements, suggest that there are other limiting factors in the diet. Objective: To evaluate possible deficit of Zinc or other nutrients in growth velocity a double blind study was done in Cali, Colombia. Methods: From 9 low and middle low socio-economic level day care centres 270 preschool healthy children with adequate

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Efecto de la complementación con zinc en la velocidad de crecimiento en niños preescolares

Nutritional practices and food intake measurements and their relationship to socio-economic grouping, location and their apparent nutritional adequacy in children.

A little over 2 years ago the Nutrition Society held a symposium on the ‘Regulation of Energy Balance’. Many of the papers were of interest, but not of much relevance to the understanding of energy balance in normal individuals, particularly in children. Before dealing with the proper subject matter of this presentation, it might be useful to consider some of the points raised by one of the papers of the previous symposium (Miller, 1982) since it stimulates some re-analysis in relation to terminology, terms such as ‘gross energy’, ‘net energy’, ‘cold’and ‘dietary-induced’ thermogenesis, etc. These points are of importance not only to remove confusion about the correct understanding of the terms, but also to dispel muddle in the minds of some nutritionists resulting from an illogical interpretation of some simple physiological phenomena.

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Energy balance in childhood and adolescence.

Attempts to relate the quality of diet to growth in British children are plagued by two persistent anomalies. In the first, workers have found no consistent relationship between individual intake and growth. The biggest eaters are not necessarily the biggest individuals. As Widdowson said in 1947, ‘the present study has been unable to bring to light the laws which relate the height, weight, size and surface area of any one person to his calorie intake or calorie requirement’. We are still very much in the dark. The second anomaly relates to groups of individuals from different social classes. The average energy and nutrient intakes amongst children from the manual social classes (111 manual, IV and V) tends to be higher than that of children from non-manual classes (I, I1 and 111 non-manual) (Widdowson, 1947; Bransby & Fothergill, 1954; Department of Health and Social Security, 1975; A. E. Black, unpublished results), while at the same time manual workers’ children are on average shorter than non-manual workers’ children (Durnin et al. 1974; Department of Health and Social Security, 1975; A. M. Thomson, unpublished results). It is this second anomaly that I wish to try and resolve. Briefly, the limited information available in Britain suggests that the quality of the social and physical environment mediates the effectiveness of diet in promoting growth and health. The use of a common standard (e.g. the recommended dietary intake; RDI) to assess dietary adequacy in different environments does not take into account these differences in dietary effectiveness. By dividing the population into two subgroups using a suitable parameter of environmental quality (e.g. social class), and by assessing diet and growth in these two groups independently, the second anomaly can be resolved, as we shall see. First we must consider how diet and growth are best assessed.

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M. Nelson

Papers

Assessing dietary intake and its relation to growth in British children.