While politicians of every ideology are making a stand a stand in putting healthy eating on the political agenda due to the obesity epidemic in the United States, a new report reveals that American kids' salt consumption is much higher than it should be, putting the younger generations at risk. American kids' salt consumption, it has been reported, is only part of a larger problem when it comes to nutrition: sodium consumption in children is alarmingly high.
The Huffington Post, through Reuters, talks about a new report released by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In it, it was revealed that American kids' salt (and, all in all, sodium) consumption is much higher than it should be. The numbers are alarming high for the American children's salt consumption when the children are between the ages of 6 and 18.
According to the report, these children end up eating an average of 3,300 mg of sodium daily - and that's even before consuming salt at all during the day. These numbers exceed dietary guidelines, which recommend a daily intake of 2,300 mg per day. This CDC study is based on national nutrition surveys taken in 2009 and 2010.
Such a high intake of salt leads to health problems early in life, the report states, adding that around 1 in 6 American children already suffer from high pressure and its associated problems. High pressure is a condition closely related to high sodium intake and obesity, along with the ensuing issues that might cause.
American children's salt consumption, according to the report, comes mostly from ten popular (and unhealthy) meals: sandwiches (like cheeseburgers), bread and soup, tacos and burritos, salty snacks (like peanuts or potato chips), cold cuts and cured meats, pizza, pasta with sauce, chicken nuggets and cheese. It was also found that the daily meal with the most sodium consumption was dinner, accounting for nearly 40% of the entire day's intake.
