Date of Award
5-2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Departmental Honors
Department
Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences
Recommended Citation
Reichmann, Vanessa, "Does Fruit and Vegetable Intake Decrease Risk for Obesity in Children and Adolescents?" (2009). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 8.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/8
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Faculty Mentor
Heidi Wengreen
Comments
Childhood obesity is increasing drastically and the need for interventions is evident. As a result of obesity, children are now developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which are usually seen only in adults. The impact of increased fruit and vegetable consumption on decreasing obesity risk has been examined in many epidemiologic studies due to the low energy density of fruits and vegetables. However, results from these studies have found that increased fruit and vegetable consumption alone is not the “cure all” solution to decreasing childhood obesity. Obesity is caused by lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that all need to be taken into consideration when developing intervention programs. Although increased fruit and vegetable intake is an important aspect of obesity prevention, it needs to be coupled with decreased consumption of high fat and high sugar foods and increased physical activity. The following thesis will discuss the definition and diagnosis of childhood obesity; health complications of obesity; the prevalence of childhood obesity; and treatment of childhood obesity. It will also discuss the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption and will review research concerning the affects of fruit and vegetable intake on body-mass index (BMI).