(AP) -- A new survey of American kids' eating habits suggests that 1 in 200 children are vegetarian.

Other surveys suggest the rate could be even four to six times higher among older teens, who have more control over what they eat.

It's the government's first estimate of how many children avoid meat. It comes from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of alternative medicine based on a 2007 survey. Data on children's diet habits was gleaned from about 9,000 parents and other adults speaking on behalf of people under 18.

Anecdotal information also shows that teen vegetarianism is on the rise, thanks in part to YouTube videos of animal slaughter. But researchers say there's not yet enough data to prove that.