Shanghai health officials are worried that a growing number of local youngsters are suffering from nutrition-related illnesses because they aren't eating a healthy balanced diet.

According to the Shanghai Disease Prevention and Control Center, about 23 percent of local primary and middle school students are undernourished. More than 10 percent of pre-school children suffer from the same problem.

Health officials say poor diets have lead to an increase in diseases like rickets and anemia, which is often caused by eating too little iron.

About 23 percent of children under six years old have anemia, while the incident rate climbs to 35.5 percent for children above six.

In the age box between 14 and 17, 40 percent of boys and 56.7 percent of girls have anemia.

Rickets, a bone disease caused by eating too little calcium, vitamin D or getting too little sunlight, is also becoming more prevalent among local children. In the 1980s, less than 10 percent of youngsters in the city had the disease, but doctors say that number has risen to nearly 17 percent in recent years.

Health experts say too many children have bad dietary habits, perhaps a result of people eating out more often or an increased intake of fast food brought about by the city's economic growth.

"During our investigation, we found that 65 percent of students eat a lot of meat, but few vegetable and fruits," said Dr Li Mingyue, director of the nutrition department at Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital. "Many young people are fans of snacks and fast food, which contain little necessary nutrition like vitamin A."

Doctors say local parents have to introduce a healthier diet to their children instead of merely giving them anything they want. They also want to see local schools provide healthier lunches for students.

"We set the menu mainly with one or two meat or fish dishes and one vegetable and soup by ourselves. It is enough for students' growth," said an official from Shanghai Titi Food Co, which provides lunch for 2,000 students from three primary and middle schools in Xuhui District.

Li says companies like Titi have to set a healthier menu and seek students' feedback.

He also says that the government should play a role in educating such companies on how to create a balanced diet for students.

(eastday.com December 29, 2003)