Medical experts warned that Hong Kong children do not have sufficient fruit intake.

Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH) conducted a survey of 914 child patients who sought medical care from the hospital's pediatric outpatient clinic between April and June 2002. Among these respondents who had an average age of eight, 527 were males and 387 females.

The survey revealed that 54 percent of the respondents consumed one serving of fruits at least five times a week, while six percent ate fruits less than once a week.

A serving of fruit equals a medium-sized fruit, half cup of cut-up fruit and three quarter cup fresh fruit juice.

"The result is surprising and incredible," said Daniel Ng Kwok-keung, KWH consultant pediatrician.

He said taking one to two servings of fruits everyday will provide sufficient dietary fiber to human.

Yet a study in 2005 showed that 30 percent of Hong Kong children aged three to five suffer from constipation owing to insufficient fiber intake.

"Constipation may lead to emotional stress or other health impact," said resident specialist Chan Keung-kit.

The survey found the situation was worse in boys and children older than 12.

"Children took fewer fruits when they get older, while 15 percent of those aged 16 or above consumed fruits no more than once every week," Ng added.

Ng said parental involvement plays a major role in correcting the situation.

"Parents usually don't pay much attention to their children's defecation habit when they enter adolescence, this gives the kids a chance to avoid eating fruits," he said.

KWH dietitian Susanne Chan Shuk-sum added children tend to dislike fruits when their families don't make it a habit to eat fruit regularly.

In addition, a healthy diet habits should be nurtured at an early age, she said.

"Babies at the age of four to six months should start eating mashed fruits," she said.

She also advised parents to encourage fruit intake by mixing fruits in children's favorite dishes or desserts, and cutting fruits into small bite-size pieces.

Dehydrated fruit slices can also be taken as snacks, she added.

Meanwhile, Chan said emphasis should be placed on the frequency of fruit intake and the variety of fruits.

"Senior primary school students needs to be educated on this topic the most. Schools should make different kinds of fruits easily available," she said.

Meantime, Ng noted that parents of asthmatic children tend not to make their children eat fruit.

"They believe fruits are detrimental to asthma control because they are raw," she said.

But according to Chan, that is not true.

"Asthma is caused by airway inflammation. Vitamin C in fruits which contain anti-oxidants can relieve the inflammation, so taking appropriate amounts of fruits can actually reduce the frequency of asthmatic attack," she said.

(HK Edition 06/13/2008 page1)