Trends of high fat, salt and sugar food consumption and its impact on nutritional status of school children

Background: India is currently in a phase of nutrition transition. Increased consumption of food high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) is contributing significantly to prevalence of triple burden of malnutrition among children. Methods: In this study, the nutritional status and frequency of HFSS food consumption were assessed in 360 school children (boys n=171, girls n=189) aged between 6-16 years using standard tools and techniques. Results: From the results, it was evident that the frequency of consumption of HFSS food among children of both the age group 6-10 years and 11-16 years was significantly high (p≤0.05). Children aged between 6-10 years were more prone to under nutrition (38%) and they were consuming more snacks such as chips, biscuits, packaged fruit juices high in sodium, saturated fat and sugar. On the other hand, adolescents aged between 11-16 years show a higher prevalence of both under nutrition and overweight (10%), potentially linked to their consumption of bakery products, street foods, sugary drinks and carbonated beverages. Conclusions: The nutrition transition shift is towards consumption of refined, ultra processed, high sodium and fat foods. The age-based trend is a nutritional challenge among children and adolescents. The findings of this study emphasized the urgent need for early screening of nutrient deficiencies, comprehensive interventions to address the triple burden of malnutrition among school children. Efforts should focus on promoting healthy dietary behaviours, enhancing nutritional literacy among children, parents and care givers, improving access to nutritious foods, and regulating the marketing and availability of HFSS foods.