OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AT 5 YEARS OF AGE IN RELATION TO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE OVER TIME

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity has increased as American diets have evolved to include fewer fruits and vegetables. It is important to evaluate the effect of dietary components on childhood overweight and obesity. Objective: To determine if a relationship exists between childhood overweight and obesity and fruit and vegetable intake. Design: A total of 70 children were followed through 5 years of age in a prospective cohort study. Demographic data, anthropometric measures, and 24-hour dietary recalls were collected. Subjects were grouped by their Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile at age 5 as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standards. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine variables correlating with BMI percentile at five years of age. Results: Fruit and vegetable intake between 12 months and 5 years of age was not different among 5-year-old children grouped by weight category (healthy, overweight or obese). Conclusions: Few subjects consumed recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables during the study period therefore, it cannot be ruled out that low fruit and vegetable intake is a factor in overweight and obesity at 5 years of age