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Title: Presweetened and nonpresweetened ready-to-eat cereals at breakfast are associated with improved nutrient intake but not with increased body weight of children and adolescents: NHANES 1999-2002

Author
item O'NEIL, CAROL - LSU Agcenter
item ZANOVEC, MICHAEL - Louisiana State University
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item CHO, SUSAN - Nutrasource

Submitted to: American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2010
Publication Date: 5/2/2012
Citation: O'Neil, C.E., Zanovec, M., Nicklas, T.A., Cho, S.S. 2012. Presweetened and nonpresweetened ready-to-eat cereals at breakfast are associated with improved nutrient intake but not with increased body weight of children and adolescents: NHANES 1999-2002. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 6:63-74.

Interpretive Summary: Ready-to-eat cereal are those cereals that can be consumed without further preparation, making them convenient, however presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal present concern that the intake of added sugars may dilute the nutritional content of these foods. We conducted a study to determine and compare nutrient intake and body weight measures in children consuming these foods. We found that ready-to-eat-cereal consumers had improved nutrient intake compared with other breakfast consumers; however, the consumption of presweetened ready-to-eat cereal was associated with lower fiber intake and higher added sugar intakes than the consumption of non-presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal. These findings suggest that non-presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal may be a better choice for children however; results suggested that most children did not consume non-presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal. Recent changes by the food industry have included reducing the sugar content and increasing the fiber content of presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal. Consumption of ready-to-eat-cereal was not associated with higher body weight in children. Ready-to-eat cereal may be an appropriate food choice to help children meet recommendations.

Technical Abstract: This study compared nutrient intake and body weight measures in children 4 to 8 (n = 1480) and 9 to 13 (n = 1790) and adolescents 14 to 18 years of age (n = 1826) participating in 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and consuming a presweetened ready-to-eat cereal, a non-presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal, or other breakfast. Sample weights were applied, and multiple linear regression identified differences among breakfast consumption groups controlling for appropriate covariates. Breakfast type varied by the above-mentioned age groups. Ready-to-eat cereal consumers had significantly higher intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than other breakfast consumers. In children 4 to 8 years old and 9 to 13 years old, added sugars were highest in presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal consumers. Fiber intake was highest in non-presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal (4-8 and 9-13 years of age) consumers and lowest in 14- to 18-year-old other breakfast consumers. Weight measures were not higher in either group of ready-to-eat-cereal consumers compared with other breakfast consumers. Data suggest that ready-to-eat-cereal contributes a high level of nutrients to the diet, and presweetened ready-to-eat-cereal is not associated with higher body weight in children.