Polynesian children guzzle down more soft drinks per serving than Pakeha kids and Kiwi kids are on par with the US when it comes to average food portions, a new study has found.
The study, Portion sizes: Looking At The Evidence (PLATE), will be presented at the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society's three-day conference in Auckland which kicked off on Thursday.
Dr Helen Eyles, from the National Institute for Health Innovation at the University of Auckland, says the study revealed that Kiwi kids eat smaller portion sizes than the UK but equal to the US.
The average portion size for New Zealand children is 233 millilitres of fruit juice, 289ml of soft drink, 436ml of fruit flavoured drinks, 57 grams of biscuits and 190g of hamburger.
Maori children consumed 40ml more soft drink and 37ml more fruit juice per serving than Pakeha kids. Pacific kids drank 43ml more soft drink per serving.
Dr Eyles says the findings could be used to develop standard serving sizes for food manufacturers and dietary guidelines to reduce portion sizes, particularly for "energy" soft drinks.
"Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has shown replacing these drinks with non-caloric versions has the potential for reducing body-mass index (BMI) in children."
The idea of taxing SSBs is gaining momentum worldwide as a way to curb calorie consumption, although there are no plans to introduce this in New Zealand, Dr Eyles says.
The study involved analysing the data of 3275 children - 1224 Maori, 1058 Pacific Islanders and 993 Pakeha - compiled in the New Zealand Children's Nutrition Survey.
NZN