中低收入家庭儿童更易摄取垃圾食品

Children from poor families are more likely to eat junk food, claim researchers.

研究者称，来自贫困家庭的孩子更易倾向于吃垃圾食品。

Young children from poor families are more likely to consume junk food and fizzy drinks than their better off counterparts, it was claimed today.

今天的一项研究声称，相较于生长在富裕家庭的同伴，来自贫困家庭的的孩子更易倾向于消费垃圾食品和碳酸饮料。

A study of 1,800 four and five year olds found more than half (54.5 per cent) of those from deprived backgrounds drank at least one a week, compared to just four in ten affluent also drank less milk and consumed more fruit juice which is also linked to child obesity caused by high sugar intake.

一项在1800名4-5岁的儿童之中进行的调查发现，超过一半的贫困家庭出身的儿童每周至少饮酒一次。富裕家庭中的儿童比例则只有40%，同时相较于家境不太如意的同龄人，他们喝更少量的牛奶，但是却有更多的果汁，而这种过多的糖分摄取正是引起儿童肥胖症的原因之一。

The phenomenon also related to children who spend more than two hours a day in front of a TV or playing computer games - whatever their social circumstances.

儿童肥胖的现象还和他们每天在电视机前或者电脑前呆坐上一两个小时有关，而跟他们的生活社会环境关系不大。

A companion study also found children from low and medium-income neighbourhoods were more likely to eat chips, sweets and chocolate.

一项类似的研究还发现，来自中低收入家庭的孩子会更喜欢吃薯条甜食和巧克力。

Professor Kate Storey, of the University of Alberta, Canada, said: "When you are looking at that age group, and such a large percentage of very young kids in the study are consuming a large amount of soda, it is quite concerning."

加拿大阿尔伯特大学的Kate教授说：“当你看到这个年龄段的儿童中，每天消费大量苏打水的儿童高比例之高，这种情况很让人担心。”