Experts say that nine in 10 children in the U.S. are consuming too much salt, increasing their risk of suffering from health issues such as high blood pressure and heart diseases later on in life. A report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that over 40 per cent of the salt that children consume comes from food that is generally popular with kids, such as pizza, sandwiches, cheese, chicken nuggets and pasta.
Kids between the ages of 6 to 18 consume approximately 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, which is 2,300 milligrams higher than the recommended amount by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“Too many children are consuming way too much sodium, and the result will be risks of high blood pressure and heart disease in the future,” CDC director Tom Frieden told CTV News. “Most sodium is from processed and restaurant food, not the salt shaker. Reducing sodium intake will help our children avoid tragic and expensive health problems.”
