Dieting in children: a population-based study in children aged between 9 and 12 years.
OBJECTIVE
Dieting can be a burden for the child and can have side effects. Insight into dieting is therefore important. A recent study showed that 13.7% (95% CI 11.5-15.9%) of the children referred to a general paediatric outpatient clinic were or had been on a diet. However, it is unknown how many children in a random population are or have been on a diet.


METHODS
Parents of children in the fifth grade of primary schools in the Dutch province of Friesland were asked to complete a structured questionnaire.


RESULTS
From 2500 questionnaires 90% were returned. Two hundred and thirty-one children aged between 9 and 12 years had been on a diet (10.3%, 95% CI 9.0%-11.6%). A cow's milk free diet was used most frequently (50% of the dieting children). Other diets were: diets excluding additives (16%), peanuts (16%), sugar (15%) and lactose (11%).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of diets by children in a general population is widespread: one in every ten children was or had been on a diet. Due to the known health risks associated with diets excluding one or more foods, such diets should only be advised by healthcare professionals.
Dousma
Mieke
M
Department of Paediatrics, Beatrix kinderkliniek UMCG, Groningen, The Netherlands. m.dousma@bkk.umcg.nl
Wierdsma
Nienke
N
van Ede
Jaap
J
van Buuren
Stef
S
Heijmans
Hugo S A
HS
de Vries
Tjalling W
TW
D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D004035:Diet Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires