NEW YORK -- Despite heightened awareness about childhood obesity rates, parents still need to do more about their children's unhealthy eating habits, according to Datamonitor. "High profile media campaigns have managed to jolt many parents into taking more control over their children's diets in recent years. However, the impact has been minimal as kids in the U.S. continue to top a number of unhealthy food consumption charts," said Datamonitor market analyst Nick Beevors, in a statement. According to Datamonitor, American children from 5 to 9 years old consume $114 worth of confectionery, $30 of ice cream and $58 of savory snacks a year. Tweens are even heavier consumers at $138, $36 and $67 respectively. Datamonitor also estimates that 6- to 13-year-olds skip 35 breakfasts a year on average. Poor diets have led to childhood obesity reaching record levels. Around 14 million (32%) of American children are overweight or obese. By 2011, 42% of U.S. children will be overweight or obese, compared to 35% in Europe.
