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According
to the National Taskforce on Obesity, children are consuming
large amounts of energy dense food which may be provided
in or outside the home.
A survey
in 2002 by Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (a World
Health Organization collaborative cross-national study)
showed that 51% of Irish children consumed sweets, 37% drank
fizzy drinks, 27% consumed crisps, 12% ate chips and 7%
ate hamburgers at least once daily. In addition, it is thought
that each additional glass of sugar-sweetened drink that
children consume every day greatly increases the risk of
becoming obese. |
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are in position to directly tackle the problem of obesity
promoting behaviour among children through education and
school policies such as limiting the amount of energy dense
food children can consume during school hours. The Food
Dudes Programme reinforces lessons being taught regarding
healthy nutrition and helps to create a culture of healthy
eating within the school environment.
Benefits
of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Fruit
and vegetables :
- Are an important group of foods for health. They can help prevent certain diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers.
- Contain fibre as well as a whole myriad of beneficial vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, the B vitamins, potassium and magnesium.
- Dark green vegetables like spinach and broccoli contain folate and vitamin E, while orange and red vegetables provide carotenes, a form of vitamin A.
- Also provide a wide variety of other substances called phytochemicals, flavonoids and phytonutrients which are thought to be protective.
- Fruit is fairly low in calories and contains no fat, and is a great choice for a snack between meals.
- To get all the goodness you can from fruit and vegetables choose a wide variety of colours and aim for 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables every day.
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