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Study: Kids Eat Healthier Foods On School Days

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Easing back into the school year could also mean easy back into eating healthy for many children.

A new Australian study finds that both younger children and teens consume significantly more sugar and fat on days when they're not in school.

The research, which is published in the journal Appetite, cross-analyzed data from the 2007 Australia Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey for nearly 3,000 children and adjusted for age, gender and socioeconomic status.

"On non-school days, total core food intake was ~30% higher and children were more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages, fried potatoes and take-away pizzas and burgers," the study's authors conclude. "To improve the diets of schoolchildren there is scope for strategies that target non-school day eating practices."

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