DIETARY HABITS OF CHILDREN LIVING IN THE ITALIAN AREA OF VERSILIA.

This study evaluates the implementation of the Italian dietary guidelines in children's diets. The results indicate only 52% of children in primary school eat breakfast daily, 92% in nursery school and 77% in middle school; 28-46% have a snack daily in the morning as compared to 50-81% in the afternoon. The consumption frequency of fruit as a snack or for breakfast is very low, with a maximum of 12% consuming fruit everyday. During lunch and dinner, consumption frequencies of vegetables are very low: 15-17% never eat vegetables. Furthermore, 7-14% of children never eat fish. More efforts are needed to educate children and induce them to adopt healthier dietary behaviours in order to prevent and to fight against childhood obesity and related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]