The eating and snacking patterns of young people in Brisbane, Australia

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Abstract
The frequencies of intakes of food and drink have been found in 591 subjects in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia who ranged in age from 11 to 25 years and came from upper‐ and lower‐class suburbs. The younger subjects were at primary and high schools, while the older subjects were either at technical college, university, employed as apprentices or unemployed.Most subjects ate at the time of the traditional three meals but also had additional snacks so that most ate/drank 5–6 times a day. Confectionery was eaten more often by young boys than young girls, but the biggest difference was between employed women who ate sweets very often and unemployed women who ate them much less frequently. By contrast, ‘finger snacks' and soft drinks were consumed with similar frequencies by the employed and unemployed. More children consumed these products frequently in lower‐class suburbs than in the upper‐class suburbs.These results suggest that soft drinks and ‘finger snacks' are regarded as part of the normal daily intake to be consumed regardless of income, but that sweets are seen as a discretionery pleasure to be indulged when money is available.

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