Children’s diets: should they be taken with a pinch of salt?

doi:10.1108/00346650210454226

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Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Online from: 1971

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Children’s diets: should they be taken with a pinch of salt?

Document Information:
Title:	Children’s diets: should they be taken with a pinch of salt?
Author(s):	Gaynor Bussell, (Gaynor Bussell is Project Coordinator at Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), Blood Pressure Unit, Department of Medicine, St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, UK.)
Citation:	Gaynor Bussell, (2002) "Children’s diets: should they be taken with a pinch of salt?", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 32 Iss: 6, pp.231 - 236
Keywords:	Children, Health care, Nutrition, Supermarkets
Article type:	Case study
DOI:	10.1108/00346650210454226 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	MCB UP Ltd
Abstract:	Evidence for the harmful effect of salt on the health of adults is growing and is now so overwhelming that government authorities and health experts are recommending that adults should not consume more than 6g of salt a day. However, no such recommendations exist for children. Presents evidence to show that by eating their current high-salt diet children are storing up health problems for the future. Evidence also exists to show that children’s poor diets are having health implications now, such as worsening of asthma and possibly preventing children from achieving their peak bone mass. Children’s diets have already been shown to increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and other health problems and these problems are being compounded by a high salt intake. Food providers and industry need to follow the lead of most major supermarkets, and gradually start to reduce the level of salt in food provided for both adults and children.