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Dietary fat intakes in infants and primary school children in Germany
B Koletzko1, K Dokoupil, S Reitmayr
1Department of Pediatrics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany.
Insights
Dietary fat intake in German infants is generally appropriate, with no need for modification. However, German school children consume excessive fat, particularly saturated fat, necessitating a reduction for long-term health.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Dietary fat intake is crucial for infant development and long-term health.
- Obesity and high cholesterol are increasing concerns in German school children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze dietary fat intake in German infants and school children.
- To provide recommendations for optimizing fat consumption for better health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of 148 healthy infants from birth to 1 year.
- 7-day dietary intake assessment using checklist protocols for 158 primary school children (aged 6-11 years).
Main Results:
- Infants showed adequate energy and nutrient intake with normal weight gain.
- Non-breast-fed infants' fat intake decreased from 44.8% at 1 month to 35.7% at 12 months.
- School children consumed 41% of energy as fat, with 50% being saturated fat.
Conclusions:
- Current fat intake in infants is appropriate and does not require modification.
- A reduction in total and saturated fat intake is recommended for primary school children to mitigate risks of obesity and high cholesterol.
Abstract:
We report dietary fat intake data in groups of infants and children in Germany. A group of 148 healthy infants was followed prospectively from birth through the first year of life. After birth, 78.9% of infants were breast-fed; 50% were breast-fed at 3 mo and 9. 8% were breast-fed at 12 mo. Infant formula was given to 22% of infants after birth, 53% at 3 mo, and 58% at 12 mo. Complementary foods were consumed by 16% of infants at 3 mo, 97% at 6 mo, and 98-100% at 7-12 mo. In non-breast-fed infants, mean dietary fat intakes were 44.8%, 42.9%, 37.4%, and 35.7% of energy intake at the ages of 1, 4, 6, and 12 mo, respectively. Calculated energy and nutrient intakes were within recommended ranges and weight gain was normal. Therefore, we see no compelling reason to actively modify total fat intakes at this age. In 158 primary school children aged 6-11 y, 7-d checklist protocols showed 41% of energy intake as fat with approximately 50% as saturated fat. Because German children of this age are experiencing increasing rates of obesity and high serum cholesterol concentrations, a stepwise reduction of total fat and saturated fat intakes in primary school children appears desirable to improve long-term health.