Children who lack access to healthy foods, particularly fruit and vegetables, are twice as likely to develop behavioral problems, an Australian study found.Researcher Rebecca Ramsey found one in four households goes without healthy food because of low income levels."It is not that these households are spending their limited money on junk food. It is more that they are unable to afford a variety of fruit and vegetables and instead may be purchasing larger quantities of staples such as rice and bread," she said.
Food insecure households were between 25% and 40% less likely to consume the recommended servings of fruit and between 15% and 25% less likely to consume adequate servings of vegetables, she said.
"Children are two and half times more like to display behavioral problems if they live in a food insecure household," she said.
She said a unhealthy diet could affect children's behavior and social skills.
Ramsey said nationally food insecurity affected 5% of the population but the National Health Survey which monitors the figure was from 2004.
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