Fast food culture

In the United Kingdom alone about 1 million children under the age of 16 are obese and more than one in four children in England is overweight.

The nutritional make up of fast food encourages people to gorge on it unintentionally increasing their risk of obesity, research suggests. Experts at the medical research council found most fast food is very dense in calories; you only need a small amount to bump up your calories intake.

Healthy food is becoming more expensive, the rate of food price, inflation is making life increasingly difficult for the millions of families. This is obviously not good news for some low income families in the UK this may mean we are struggling more than before.

The government has been doing a lot in terms of healthy foods in schools, sports activities in schools, labelling of foods and working with young people. The government is also due to ask food standards agency to probe the use of unhealthy transfat that’s been linked to coronary heart disease in fast foods.

Medical research council expert Mr Johnson said “Individuals also have to take responsibility for their own health as part of a cultural and social shift”

The food standard agency shows that advertising influences children’s eating habits and therefore want food packaging to carry healthy warnings. About half of all foods advertised during children’s television are cakes and sweets whereas fruits and vegetables do not feature in it at all

Who's to blame for the rising obesity in the UK? Is it entirely up to us as individuals or should the food companies play a part? And how big a role should the government, doctors and schools play? What do you think. Have your say in the forum now.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Released Friday 19th September 2008