Unhealthy Diet Is A Lifestyle Choice, Survey Suggests

People on low incomes consume just as much unhealthy food and drink as the general population, and so bad diets are the result of personal choice, according to a study published by the UK regulator Sunday.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said that it will consider the results in relation to government's diet and nutrition policy, a statement likely to worry the food industry, which is already mistrustful of offical interference in the way it markets its products.

The survey, carried out over the past 15 months, examined the dietary habits and nutritional status of the UK's low income group, classified as the bottom 15 per cent of the population in terms of material deprivation.

The report noted that levels of obesity among individuals interviewed mirrored the general population, with 62 per cent of men, 63 per cent of women, 35 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls being overweight or obese.

About 65 per cent of children drank a sugary drink during the four-day survey period, although it was noted that consumption of fizzy drinks tended to decrease with age.

In children, fizzy drinks, squash and fruit juice are the main sources of non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES), the FSA said.

NMES are also found in cakes, biscuits and sweets, and it accounts for 14 per cent of adult food energy, the FSA added, which is three per cent higher than the recommended allowance. [Get the full story ¦ Foodnavigator]

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