New CSIRO research has found that only one in five Australian primary school children are eating the recommended servings of dairy each day, increasing their risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.
The study of 4487 children, a secondary analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, revealed only one out of five children aged from four to 11 years are achieving three serves of dairy daily, as recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy eating.
According to Dairy Australia, dairy foods provide kids with the calcium needed for building strong bones and reducing the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis later in life. Dairy foods are also packed with nine other essential nutrients for healthy, active kids.
Children aged four to 13 need between 700mg and 1300mg of calcium every day for optimum health, which can be achieved by consuming three serves of dairy every day. A serve is one glass of milk, two slices of cheese or one tub of yoghurt.
"Giving children three serves of dairy foods every day is critical throughout their formative years, which includes the teenage years," Dairy Australia dietitian Glenys Zucco said.
Dairy Australia has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of these facts among parents. Visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au/kidsneed3 for more information on the importance of dairy foods for kids as well as tips, recipes and an interactive calcium calculator.
Watch the video below for more on choosing dairy:
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