Study: 70% of California Latino Kids Eat Fast Food Regularly

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A surprisingly large percentage of very young children in California, including 70% of Latino children, eat fast food regularly, according to a new research brief, News-Medical.Net reports.

The study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examined survey data to examine kids’ dietary behaviors and the impact of parents on food choices.

The study found that:

• 60% of all kids between the ages of 2 and 5 had eaten fast food at least once in the previous week.
• 29% of all kids had eaten fast food two or more times in the previous week.
• Only 57% of parents reporting that their child ate at least five fruit and vegetable servings the previous day.
• Latino and Asian parents say they have less influence over what their child eats than other groups.

“A weekly happy meal is an unhappy solution, especially for toddlers,” said Susan Holtby, the study’s lead author and a senior researcher at the Public Health Institute. “Hard-working, busy parents need support to make healthy food selections for their kids.”