Randerson Welcomes Food4Thought

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 18th Oct 2006

Welsh Lib Dem Health spokesperson Jenny Randerson AM today welcomed the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) Food4Thought campaign, which is aimed at exposing the hidden salt, fat and sugar lurking in common foods, so children can better understand the potential damage its doing to their hearts and health.

At the heart of the Food4Thought campaign is an advertising campaign depicting a girl drinking from a bottle of cooking oil with the caption "What goes into crisps goes into you'. As part of the campaign, education packs, in the shape of giant burger boxes, containing resources to help children better understand what foods are good for their health, are being sent to classrooms around Wales as part of a UK-wide campaign.

The problem of poor diet and nutrition is a key factor in rising levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In Wales 17% of girls and 22% of boys are currently over weight or obese.

A new report for the BHF shows that half of 8 to 15 year olds across the UK eat at least a bag of crisps a day and almost one in five eat crisps twice a day or more. And the case for practical cooking skills is supported by the fact that 37% of UK youngsters aren't confident peeling a vegetable.

Supporting the BHF's campaign Jenny Randerson AM said: "Fighting obesity is one of today's key public health challenges. The work of BHF is vital in ensuring that young people are equipped to make informed choices about healthy eating and living.

"We in the Welsh Lib Dems are doing our bit by initiating a motion, passed on Tuesday, that calls on the Assembly Government to develop and present for consultation by the end of the year a wide-ranging 'Quality of Food' strategy to improve the quality of food consumed in Wales."