Diet and exercise in Australian children
Few Australian children are meeting guidelines for the recommended daily intake of vegetables, with a high proportion of total daily energy intake coming from discretionary foods and many children exceeding recommended limits for consumption of added sugars. The proportion of children meeting physical activity recommendations declined in line with age.
Key Evidence
6.3% of Australian children are consuming the recommended daily intake of vegetables
73.8% of 9 to 13-year-olds exceed recommended limits on energy from free sugars
67.8% of 14 to 17-year-old boys consume sugar-sweetened beverages at least weekly
16.6% of 9 to 13-year-olds are doing sufficient physical activity
Intake of core foods
Overall, 73.0% of children aged 2 to 17 years met the guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit, while 6.3% met the guidelines for serves of vegetables in 2017-18. This varied by age group.1
Food consumption by serve
Australian children shifted towards relatively more meat consumption between 1995 and 2011, reflecting a shift also seen in adults, while vegetable consumption patterns for children varied by age group.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0.55.012 - Australian Health Survey: Consumption of Food Groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2011-12. 2016.
Note: Mean number of serves per 10,000 kilojoules, by food groups. Intake from non-discretionary sources. Based on self-reported food intake
Food group | Age group | 1995 | 2011-12 |
---|---|---|---|
Vegetables | 2-3 years | 1.97 | 2.34 |
4-8 years | 1.99 | 2.24 | |
9-11 years | 2.25 | 2.28 | |
12-13 years | 2.51 | 2.28 | |
14-18 years | 2.81 | 2.43 | |
Fruit | 2-3 years | 3.08 | 3.08 |
4-8 years | 2.46 | 2.73 | |
9-11 years | 1.81 | 2.29 | |
12-13 years | 1.86 | 2.00 | |
14-18 years | 1.64 | 1.72 | |
Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives | 2-3 years | 3.20 | 3.21 |
4-8 years | 2.06 | 2.14 | |
9-11 years | 1.85 | 1.83 | |
12-13 years | 1.79 | 1.86 | |
14-18 years | 1.77 | 1.65 | |
Lean meat & alternatives | 2-3 years | 0.80 | 1.31 |
4-8 years | 0.95 | 1.17 | |
9-11 years | 1.04 | 1.39 | |
12-13 years | 1.13 | 1.54 | |
14-18 years | 1.38 | 1.79 | |
Grains | 2-3 years | 4.71 | 5.55 |
4-8 years | 5.12 | 5.94 | |
9-11 years | 5.21 | 5.71 | |
12-13 years | 4.89 | 5.69 | |
14-18 years | 5.10 | 5.66 |
Discretionary food intake
On average, about one-third of total daily energy in 2011-12 in the diets of Australian children was from discretionary foods. The proportion increased with children’s age. Key contributors to children’s discretionary food intake include sweet biscuits, cakes and muffins, chocolate, snack foods, fried potato products, ice cream and pastries.2
A large proportion of Australian children exceed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limits on energy from free sugars. Free sugars are sugars added to foods by manufacturers or consumers, and those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The WHO recommends limiting energy from free sugars to less than 10% of daily energy intake (around 12 teaspoons).3 In 2011-12, the proportion of Australian children exceeding the WHO recommendation for free sugar intake varied by age group.4
Average intake of added sugars
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0.55.011 - Australian Health Survey: Consumption of added sugars, 2011-12. 2016. Table 1.1
Note: Converted from grams (divided by 4) and rounded to nearest teaspoon.
Age group | Boys (teaspoons) | Girls (teaspoons) |
---|---|---|
2-3 years | 8 | 8 |
4-8 years | 13 | 11 |
9-13 years | 17 | 15 |
14-18 years | 21 | 16 |
Boys aged 14 to 18 years had the highest average intake of added sugars in 2011-12. Average intake of added sugars increased with age, and boys consumed more added sugars than girls in all age groups. Added sugars are those added to foods by manufacturers or consumers, excluding those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices.
Among children and teenagers, boys aged 14 to 17 were most likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) at least weekly in 2017-18. Regular consumption of SSBs was higher among boys than girls, and increased with age. 5
Physical activity
In 2011-12, the proportion of children who did sufficient physical activity declined by age, with 74.9% of children aged 2 to 3 years; 42.8% of children aged 4 to 8; 16.6% of children aged 9 to 13; and 16.2% of children aged 14 to 18 doing sufficient physical activity.6