An Investigation into UK Adolescents’ Seafood Consumption

The health benefits of eating seafood to people of all ages are widely recognised (Tabbakh & Freeland-Graves, 2016). Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids associated particularly with oily fish are positively beneficial for the cardiovascular system, and for neurological health and development (Bonafini et al. 2015; Daviglus, Sheeshka & Murkin, 2002; Kim et al., 2016; Li et al., 2013). Fish is also a rich source of micronutrients including calcium, iodine, magnesium, selenium, copper and zinc (Calderon-Garcia et al., 2013; Sheeshka & Murkin, 2002). These health benefits have encouraged various national and international bodies to make recommendations for fish intake in order to promote healthy eating. However, perceptions of the actual quantity of fish necessary to promote health vary considerably across countries dependent upon the availability of fish and its prominence in the national diet with a review of 14 countries revealing a range from 97g (in Georgia) to 550g (in Greece) per head per week (Thurstan & Roberts, 2014). In the US, the recommendation is two “average meals” (6 oz; 170g) per week, avoiding species high in mercury (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2014). In the UK, the recommendation is for two 140g portions of fish per week, of which one should be an oily fish (Food Standards Agency, 2010). However, a study of day-to-day food choices in the UK found that fish, even when welcomed in the diet, is seen, along with vegetables, as involving complicated and time-consuming preparation, and tended to be replaced by convenience foods (Carrigan, Szmigin & Leek, 2006).