Nine in 10 children in US eat too much salt, CDC says

Statistics show that as many as nine out of 10 American children are consuming too much salt, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Excessive salt intake can result in an increased risk of hypertension or high blood pressure as well as increased risk of weight issues.

Federal health officials say most kids in the U.S. eat 1/3 more than the recommended amount of salt and two of the biggest snack culprits are pizza and bread. According to the CDC, U.S. school-aged children consumed an estimated 3,279 milligrams of sodium daily, that’s well over the recommended amount of 2,300 milligrams a day.

According to NBC News, studies show that eating a lot of salt can raise blood pressure, not in every single person, but in a significant percentage of the population. The latest survey of what kids eat shows that more than 90 percent of them are eating far too much salt. And they are not getting it from the salt shaker. There are a number of foods with high sodium counts including: cold cuts, cured meats, savory snacks, sandwiches, cheese, chicken patties/nuggets/tenders, pasta mixed dishes and soups.

Researchers found that 65 percent of salt the kids eat comes from store-bought foods, 13 percent from fast food and pizza restaurants, and 9 percent from school cafeterias.

With the rise in sodium intake comes the rise of high blood pressure in America’s children. The CDC says one in six U.S. children have borderline or high blood pressure and a third of the entire U.S. population has high blood pressure.

According to NBC News, The American Heart Association advises that some people should cut salt to as low as 1,500 milligrams a day but there have been other published studies that challenge that idea.

Agencies/Canadajournal

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