Study: Young People Are Skipping Lunch

BOSTON, Mass. (CBS) – Are your kids skipping lunch?

If so, they're not alone.

New research conducted by the Nestlé Research Center claims that skipping lunch is a relatively common practice among children and adolescents.

The study looked at data from the 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which evaluated the eating habits of more than 3,500 kids between 4 and 13.

Of those children, 13% of kids 4-8 skipped the midday meal, while 17% of 9-13 year olds opted out of lunch.

What's more, about a quarter of 9-13 year olds also skipped lunch on weekends.

But skipping lunch could result in children missing out on vital nutrients such as vitamin D, potassium and magnesium, researchers say.

"This study highlights an opportunity for both government and the food industry to develop new strategies to encourage children and adolescents to consume a healthy lunch," said Kevin Mathias, a PhD and scientist at the Nestlé Center who also authored the study.

Nestlé says the new data is part of its Kids Nutrition & Health Study, which aims to provide country-specific health information on the eating habits of children.