National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Headline results from Years 1 and 2 (combined) of the rolling programme 2008-9 - 2009-10
The NDNS Blood Analyte report, published on 27 October 2011, for Years 1 and 2 combined is available at the link at the bottom of this page.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The NDNS Blood Analyte report, published on 27 October 2011, for Years 1 and 2 combined is available at the link at the bottom of this page.
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) is a continuous cross-sectional survey, designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population aged 18 months upwards living in private households in the UK. The NDNS involves an interview, a four-day dietary diary and blood and urine samples. The results are used to develop policy and monitor progress towards public health objectives on diet and nutrition, such as Responsibility Deal Food Network pledges on trans fat intakes. The data are also used to compare consumption with UK dietary recommendations on healthy, balanced diets and nutrient intakes.
The NDNS report for Years 1 and 2 combined (2008-09 and 2009-10) is available below.
Key findings
The findings show that the overall picture of the diet and nutrition of the UK population is broadly similar to previous surveys in the NDNS series carried out between 1994 and 2001. The analyses presented in this report do not identify any new nutritional problems in the general population.
- Adults (aged 19 to 64 years), consumed on average 4.2 portions of fruit and vegetables per day and older adults (aged 65 years and over) consumed 4.4 portions. Thirty per cent of adults and 37 per cent of older adults met the ‘five-a-day’ recommendation
- Boys aged 11-18 years, on average, consumed 3.1 portions of fruit and vegetables per day and 13 per cent met the ‘five a day’ recommendation. Girls in the same age group consumed 2.7 portions per day and 7 per cent met the recommendation.
- Mean saturated fat intakes for all age groups exceeded the recommended level of no more than 11 per cent of food energy. The mean saturated fat intake for adults aged 19 to 64 years was 12.8 per cent of food energy
- Mean intakes of trans fatty acids provided 0.7-0.9 per cent of food energy for all age groups, which was within the recommendation of no more than 2 per cent food energy
- Mean intakes of non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) exceeded the recommendation of no more than 11 per cent of food energy for children aged 4 to 18 years and adults aged 19 to 64 years
- 61 per cent of adults (aged 19-64) and 53 per cent of older adults (aged 65 years and over) consumed alcohol during the four-day diary. Adults who had consumed alcohol obtained 9 per cent of energy intake from alcohol in the 19 to 64 age group and 6 per cent in the 65 years and over group.