More than half of Utah kids aren't eating a daily vegetable, CDC study says

OREM — When Kim Schollenberger's kids were younger, she said it was a lot easier to control what they ate and ensure they got a balanced and nutritious diet.

But now that they are older, her boys have their own money and can choose to drive themselves to eat at certain restaurants.

Schollenberger — who has an associates degree in public health and is a mother of four teenage boys — has tried to raise her kids to value fruits and vegetables, but she knows that when her kids are at school, activities or friends' houses, they have to make their own decisions about what they eat.

Schollenberger said her family for the most part eats a plant-based, whole foods diet at their Orem home, but life can get in the way and it isn't always easy to keep up.

And it's not always easy for parents of young children, either. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found about half of Utah children age 5 and under are not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

The study asked respondents about the frequency their child consumed fruits, vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages during the week prior to them taking the survey.

In Utah, the study found more than 1 in 4 children in Utah did not eat a daily fruit and 52.5% of children did not eat a daily vegetable. About two-thirds of children had had at least one sugar-sweetened beverage during the preceding week.

Compared to the national average, Utah children eat fewer vegetables and drink more sweetened beverages, but they do have a higher fruit consumption.

Dr. Mark Cannon, president of the American Academy of Oral and Systemic Health, will be presenting at a conference next month in Salt Lake City about health trends, recent data, and the connection between oral health and whole body health. The American Academy of Oral and Systemic Health was established in 2010 to bring health care professionals from all fields together to share expertise and data on how to help individuals be healthy in all aspects.

Cannon said research has shown the diet of both adults and children deteriorated during the pandemic, leading to several epidemics of obesity, diabetes, dental decay and more chronic illnesses.

When children and adults don't get the nutrients they need and primarily eat food that lacks nutrients, Cannon said it affects their oral and gut bacteria.

"They're not getting any of the nutrients, they're not getting any of the minerals they need, they're not getting what is essential for a good life," Cannon said of the children who aren't eating fruits and vegetables. "But on top of it, they are feeding the bad bacteria."

This can lead to cardiovascular issues, infections, and chronic illnesses which can not only shorten someone's lifespan, but also negatively impact the quality of life, he said.

Leafy green vegetables contain "good" bacteria that help your body convert stomach acid into nitric oxide, which then helps your body kill off the "bad" bacteria, lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation and can help repair your heart, Cannon said.

"It's essential we preserve (the good) bacteria by not killing them off. It's essential kids have these leafy green vegetables that will actually produce this nitric oxide," he said.

Eating whole foods rather than processed foods can ensure bodies are receiving the nutrients they need to produce good bacteria and function properly, he said.

When Schollenberger was a stay-at-home mom, it was a lot easier to make home-cooked meals and grow her own vegetables in a garden. Now that Schollenberger is back at work, finding the time to feed her family healthy food can be challenging.

"When things get really busy, the first thing to go out the window is nutrition and home-cooked foods, because they take more effort than opening a bag," she said.

Schollenberger believes educating parents on nutrition has a huge impact on the nutrition a child will receive and how the child will view food as they grow up. She also thinks it's important to make fruits and vegetables just as convenient as alternative, less healthy foods typically are.

"I don't think any parent is out to destroy their child's health, I think they're doing the best they can with what they know and with what they have," she said.

The American Academy of Oral and Systemic Health's Golden Spike conferencesponsored by Xlear will be held at the Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City on March 29. Cannon said the purpose is to gather local experts who might never have worked together before and promote collaboration between medical fields in order to better educate Utahns on ways to stay healthy.

Cannon said a lot of inadequate nutrition comes from a lack of education and a misbelief in the difficulty of eating healthy. He said a lot of people fall into the illusion that healthy food is more expensive, but "the reality is that junk food is more expensive."

"I raised five kids, so I know the challenges of children and making ends meet, but there's nothing better you can give your child than health and love," Cannon said.

He also added that the eventual health care costs of living an unhealthy life is "vastly more money" than being preventative, eating healthy and cooking food at home rather than eating out.

Cannon said he hopes health care professionals, legislators and people from all walks of life in Utah will come to the conference to understand how bad the state of nutrition is and how we can move forward to "live a full and healthy life."

Part of the solution, Cannon said, is improving the food in schools, teaching children the correct foods to eat, and educating parents on nutrition so they can better feed their children.

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