title: Nutrient intakes and dietary patterns of young children by dietary fat intakes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether low fat intake is associated with increased risk of nutritional inadequacy in children 2 to 8 years old and to identify eating patterns associated with differences in fat intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using 2 days of recall from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII), 1994 to 1996, we classified 2802 children into quartiles of energy intake from fat (<29%, 29% to 31.9% [defined as moderate fat], 32% to 34.9%, and > or =35%) and compared nutrient intakes, the proportion of children at risk for inadequate intakes, Food Pyramid servings, and fat content per serving across quartiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More children in quartile 2 were at risk for inadequate intakes of vitamin E, calcium, and zinc than children in higher quartiles (P <.0001); more children in quartiles 3 and 4 were at risk for inadequate intakes of vitamins A and C and folate (P <.001). Fruit intake decreased across quartiles (P <.0001); whereas vegetable, meat, and fat-based condiment intakes increased (P <.0001). Fat per serving of grain, vegetables, dairy, and meat increased across quartiles (P <.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate-fat diets were not consistently associated with an increased proportion of children at risk for nutritional inadequacy, and higher-fat diets were not consistently protective against inadequacy. Dietary fat could be reduced by judicious selection of lower-fat foods without compromising nutritional adequacy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballew
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuester
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serdula
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dietz
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009751:Nutritional Requirements
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats