YEREVAN (JAM News) — Armenia has the highest rate of sweet consumption among children, according to a recent study conducted in Armenia and 50 other countries, placing the nation as the leading consumer of sweets among 15-year-olds.
“64% of girls and 56% of boys in this age group consume sweets multiple times a day. This is a truly concerning indicator,” stated Marina Melkumova, a pediatrician at the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health.
The World Health Organization, together with Armenia’s Ministries of Health and Education and the Arabkir Medical Center, conducted this study among school-aged children. The results, presented to journalists earlier in November, included warnings about potential health consequences.
This study on school-aged children’s behaviors, which may impact their health, is conducted every four years in 51 countries. In Armenia’s latest survey, more than 4,300 children aged 11, 13, 15, and 17 were studied.
Melkumova, a pediatrician at the Arabkir Institute, expressed alarm over the findings. Children’s diets are unbalanced, with doctors particularly concerned about adolescents’ excessive consumption of sweets and sugary sodas.
“Among 15-year-olds, 32 percent of boys and 22 percent of girls drink sugary carbonated drinks daily,” Melkumova reported.
