Many GCC moms concerned about kids' diets

?Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com OVER half of GCC-national mothers are concerned about their children's diet, a study on healthy eating and nutrition awareness in GCC countries. Of mother surveyed in the study recently commissioned by Kraft Foods, more than 60 per cent of the respondents felt that their children were not receiving a balanced diet. The study was conducted to determine the attitudes, practices and perceptions of mothers on their families' nutrition and eating habits. More than 850 mothers from the UAE, Kuwait and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) participated in the first month-long Kraft Foods Health Eating and Nutrition GCC Awareness Study*. The study revealed that UAE mothers were aware of the types of food containing high nutritional value, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese and eggs. Yet, many of them said their children were not eating a balanced diet, as their meals did not have sufficient protein, iron, calcium and vitamins. In the UAE, only 26 per cent of the Emirati mothers surveyed said they are confident that their children are eating a balanced diet. Some 54 per cent, however, felt otherwise and a further 20 per cent said they do not know if their children are getting a balanced diet. Some 55 per cent of Emirati mothers felt that their children should consume more iron, 51 per cent said more vitamins ought to be consumed and 47 per cent said more protein was needed in their children's daily diets. According to the study, cholesterol was the number one concern for 66 per cent of mothers surveyed in the UAE. This is in contrast to mothers in KSA and Kuwait whose main concern was calories. Some 54 per cent of them claimed to exercise some to high control in monitoring their children's cholesterol consumption. However, 19 per cent of UAE mothers said they are only somewhat concerned and 16 per cent said that they are not concerned at all. Around 33 per cent admitted to exercising little to low control in their children's cholesterol consumption. Fat content ranked as the second biggest concern with 62 per cent of UAE mothers responding accordingly. Some 58 per cent said that they control the amounts of fat in their children's diet. More than 80 per cent claimed they either always, mostly or sometimes read fat content labels on food products that they purchase. Yet, one out of four Emirati mothers said they are only somewhat concerned about fat content. Some 29 per cent said that they exercise little or low control over the intake of fat and 20 per cent said that they either rarely or never read the fat content on food labels. Sugar intake in children's diet is another concern for 57 per cent of UAE mothers, with half of them saying that they control their children's sugar intake. However 30 per cent are only somewhat concerned about sugar intake and 16 per cent are not concerned at all. Some 36 per cent said they impose little or low control over how much sugar their children consume. Yet 74 per cent of them claimed they either always, mostly or sometimes read sugar content labels on food products that they purchase. With regards to calories, one in two Emirati mothers are concerned about how much their children are consuming. Around 37 per cent said that they are only somewhat concerned. Also, 58 per cent of them said that they exercise some to high levels of calorie-control in the children's diet, 30 per cent apply low to little control over their children's calorie intake and 12 per cent do not control it at all. Overall however, the study indicated that mothers in the UAE are cautious about what their children eat. Only 25 per cent of UAE mothers who participated in the survey said that they permit their children to snack daily as opposed to 60 per cent of mothers in KSA and 50 per cent of mothers in Kuwait. Some 26 per cent of UAE mothers said they allow their children to snack five to six times aSNEAKERS