Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1997 May;76(5):416–420. doi: 10.1136/adc.76.5.416

Relation between dietary fat and energy and micronutrient intakes

S Tonstad 1, M Sivertsen 1
PMCID: PMC1717205  PMID: 9196356

Abstract

Accepted 28 January 1997


Concern has been raised about the energy and nutrient adequacy of low fat diets for children that aim to prevent cardiovascular disease in Western populations. The diets of 174 randomly chosen schoolchildren aged 8-12 years from middle and high socioeconomic groups were analysed to determine their nutrient composition in relation to fat intake. The mean percentages of energy intake from fat and saturated fat were 31 and 13%, respectively, and 44% of all children reported consuming <30% of their energy from fat. The energy intake did not change across the spectrum of fat intake. A decreased fat intake was associated with an increased sugar intake, but also with increased nutrient densities of thiamin, niacin, folate, vitamin C, magnesium, and iron, reflecting an increased intake of fruit, vegetables, and grains. Parental educational level was the most important determinant of fat intake (inverse relation). It is concluded that a self selected low fat intake among children from average to high socioeconomic backgrounds does not compromise their intake of major nutrients or energy.



Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (106.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Akerblom H. K., Chandra R. K., Franklin F. A., Giovannini M., Grobbee D. E., Innis S. M., Jacques H., Kersting M., Kunze D., Lifshitz F. Conclusions, guidelines and recommendations from the IUNS/WHO Workshop: nutrition in the pediatric age group and later cardiovascular disease. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Jun;11 (Suppl):1S–2S. doi: 10.1080/07315724.1992.10737973. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Andersen L. F., Nes M., Lillegaard I. T., Sandstad B., Bjørneboe G. E., Drevon C. A. Evaluation of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire used in a group of Norwegian adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Aug;49(8):543–554. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baghurst K. I., Baghurst P. A., Record S. J. Demographic and dietary profiles of high and low fat consumers in Australia. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1994 Feb;48(1):26–32. doi: 10.1136/jech.48.1.26. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bandini L. G., Schoeller D. A., Cyr H. N., Dietz W. H. Validity of reported energy intake in obese and nonobese adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990 Sep;52(3):421–425. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/52.3.421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bergström E., Hernell O., Persson L. A. Dietary changes in Swedish adolescents. Acta Paediatr. 1993 May;82(5):472–480. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12726.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bolton-Smith C., Woodward M. Dietary composition and fat to sugar ratios in relation to obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994 Dec;18(12):820–828. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Boulton T. J., Magarey A. M. Effects of differences in dietary fat on growth, energy and nutrient intake from infancy to eight years of age. Acta Paediatr. 1995 Feb;84(2):146–150. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1995.tb13597.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harper A. E. Dietary guidelines in perspective. J Nutr. 1996 Apr;126(4 Suppl):1042S–1048S. doi: 10.1093/jn/126.suppl_4.1042S. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Labarthe D. R., O'Brien B., Dunn K. International comparisons of plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1991;623:108–119. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1991.tb43722.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Laitinen S., Räsänen L., Viikari J., Akerblom H. K. Diet of Finnish children in relation to the family's socio-economic status. Scand J Soc Med. 1995 Jun;23(2):88–94. doi: 10.1177/140349489502300203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lapinleimu H., Viikari J., Jokinen E., Salo P., Routi T., Leino A., Rönnemaa T., Seppänen R., Välimäki I., Simell O. Prospective randomised trial in 1062 infants of diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Lancet. 1995 Feb 25;345(8948):471–476. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(95)90580-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lifshitz F. Children on adult diets: is it harmful? Is it healthful? J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Jun;11 (Suppl):84S–90S. doi: 10.1080/07315724.1992.10737992. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lifshitz F., Tarim O. Considerations about dietary fat restrictions for children. J Nutr. 1996 Apr;126(4 Suppl):1031S–1041S. doi: 10.1093/jn/126.suppl_4.1031S. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mann J. Position statement: nutrition options when reducing saturated fat intake. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Jun;11 (Suppl):82S–83S. doi: 10.1080/07315724.1992.10737991. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McPherson R. S., Nichaman M. Z., Kohl H. W., Reed D. B., Labarthe D. R. Intake and food sources of dietary fat among schoolchildren in The Woodlands, Texas. Pediatrics. 1990 Oct;86(4):520–526. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Michaelsen K. F., Jørgensen M. H. Dietary fat content and energy density during infancy and childhood; the effect on energy intake and growth. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Jul;49(7):467–483. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nicklas T. A., Webber L. S., Koschak M., Berenson G. S. Nutrient adequacy of low fat intakes for children: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics. 1992 Feb;89(2):221–228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Olson R. E. The dietary recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Feb;61(2):271–273. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/61.2.271. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pryer J., Brunner E., Elliott P., Nichols R., Dimond H., Marmot M. Who complied with COMA 1984 dietary fat recommendations among a nationally representative sample of British adults in 1986-7 and what did they eat? Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Oct;49(10):718–728. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rohlicek C. V., Saiki C., Matsuoka T., Mortola J. P. Cardiovascular and respiratory consequences of body warming during hypoxia in conscious newborn cats. Pediatr Res. 1996 Jul;40(1):1–5. doi: 10.1203/00006450-199607000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ruxton C. H., Kirk T. R., Belton N. R., Holmes M. A. Energy and nutrient intakes in a sample of 136 Edinburgh 7-8 year olds: a comparison with United Kingdom dietary reference values. Br J Nutr. 1996 Feb;75(2):151–160. doi: 10.1079/bjn19960121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schofield W. N. Predicting basal metabolic rate, new standards and review of previous work. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr. 1985;39 (Suppl 1):5–41. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Shea S., Basch C. E., Stein A. D., Contento I. R., Irigoyen M., Zybert P. Is there a relationship between dietary fat and stature or growth in children three to five years of age? Pediatrics. 1993 Oct;92(4):579–586. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Stender S., Skovby F., Haraldsdóttir J., Andresen G. R., Michaelsen K. F., Nielsen B. S., Ygil K. H. Cholesterol-lowering diets may increase the food costs for Danish children. A cross-sectional study of food costs for Danish children with and without familial hypercholesterolaemia. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1993 Nov;47(11):776–786. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Strain J. J., Robson P. J., Livingstone M. B., Primrose E. D., Savage J. M., Cran G. W., Boreham C. A. Estimates of food and macronutrient intake in a random sample of Northern Ireland adolescents. Br J Nutr. 1994 Sep;72(3):343–352. doi: 10.1079/bjn19940038. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Torun B., Davies P. S., Livingstone M. B., Paolisso M., Sackett R., Spurr G. B. Energy requirements and dietary energy recommendations for children and adolescents 1 to 18 years old. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1996 Feb;50 (Suppl 1):S37–S81. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Ursin G., Ziegler R. G., Subar A. F., Graubard B. I., Haile R. W., Hoover R. Dietary patterns associated with a low-fat diet in the national health examination follow-up study: identification of potential confounders for epidemiologic analyses. Am J Epidemiol. 1993 Apr 15;137(8):916–927. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116753. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Vobecky J. S., Vobecky J., Marquis L. The relation between low-fat intake and vitamin status in a free-living cohort of preschoolers. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992 Sep 30;669:374–378. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1992.tb17128.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Zlotkin S. H. A review of the Canadian "Nutrition recommendations update: dietary fat and children.". J Nutr. 1996 Apr;126(4 Suppl):1022S–1027S. doi: 10.1093/jn/126.suppl_4.1022S. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES