Improving children's diet report on findings from child nutrition surveys in Flanders as a basis for the development of a methodological framework for future dietary surveillance.

Abstract

In the first years of life, children acquire many of the physical attributes, and also the social and psychological structures for life and learning. Because unhealthy lifestyle patterns might continue into adulthood, it is important to strive as early in life as possible for a high-quality diet with optimal levels of food and nutrients to help maintain optimal health. In this manuscript the dietary habits of preschool children in Flanders in 2002-2003 are described and discussed in comparison with the recommendations. This first large-scale dietary survey executed in Flanders revealed remarkable gaps in Flemish preschoolers' diets and should be seen as an alarming signal that urges for more and deeper research in this area of childhood nutrition. Furthermore, some results raised the question whether our current dietary recommendations for Flemish preschoolers require some revisions or clarifications in order to strive against a threatening obesity epidemic and its concomitant chronic diseases. Therefore, some suggestions to improve the current Flemish dietary guidelines and food policies with regard to young children have been formulated. At last this study revealed some methodological recommendations for future dietary surveys in preschool-aged children. New methods have been developed and evaluated for use in future preschool dietary surveys and an European perspective for future pan-European food consumption surveys in children was discussed.