The fostering of healthy eating habits among the younger generation to ensure the nation’s health is an essential task for the state and the family as a social unit. The family lays down eating habits that are passed down across generations. The fostering of healthy eating patterns in children contributes to the development of a healthy society and increases life expectancy. Objective. To assess the focus of parents and children on eating behavior. Materials and methods. The study was conducted at the Children’s City Clinical Out-Patient Clinic No. 8, named after Alexander Nevsky, in Chelyabinsk in 2022. The study included 416 legal representatives of children under 14 years, 11 months, and 29 days. Analytical, sociological, mathematical, statistical, and graphic methods were used. Results. 40% of children had deviations in physical development, which could lead to class IV diseases, including diseases of the endocrine system, eating disorders, and metabolic disorders. This data was confirmed by a comparative analysis of two indicators: the rate of abnormal body mass index in children (38.7%) and the rate of homeostasis abnormalities (42.4%). Conclusion. Often, parents incorrectly assess their children’s weight, as confirmed by comparing their opinions with objective observation and body mass index calculations. Analysis of body mass index showed a greater predisposition to obesity among boys. Overall, 75% of children follow the sensible nutrition and dietitians’ recommendations; however, attention should be paid to the entire child population to foster a commitment to proper nutrition.
Abubakirov et al. (Tue,) studied this question.