Mixed News On Child Health
September 3rd 2007
Children are eating more fruit and vegetables - but they are also getting fatter, government ministers were due to reveal today. 
Ministers hailed success in encouraging children to eat healthy diets, largely thanks to improvements in school meals.
By last autumn some 47 per cent of children were reaching the recommended target of five portions a day of fruit or vegetables.
This had increased from 27 per cent in early 2004.
Children’s minister Beverly Hughes said: "If we are to tackle obesity and get children interested in fruit and vegetables we have to start young. That is why this scheme is so important.
"I’m pleased to see that school meals are having an impact on diet and new tougher regulations coming in this week will mean that young people can no longer buy fizzy drinks, chocolate bars and crisps in tuck shops or vending machines in schools."
She added: "Junk food is now off the menu throughout the school day."
But the Observer quoted education secretary Ed Balls as saying that more than 16 per cent of children are now obese. This had risen from less than ten per cent 12 years ago.
He said: "If that trend continues, by mid-century we’d be getting close to half of all children classified as obese."
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