According to a study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), roughly a third of children polled didn't know the main ingredient in French fries.
And, about 10 percent of them thought fries were mostly made of oil; others suggested eggs, flour, and even apples. This may be part of the reason that an estimated half-million children in the UK will become obese or overweight over the next two years.
Food4Thought
In hopes of scaring kids away from fast food, the foundation launched Food4Thought yesterday, a national campaign including billboards and posters of hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets as they would appear before their common ingredients are melded and processed into the food you see at the grocery store -- gristle, bones, and connective tissue.
The campaign is primarily an attempt to engage children on the subject of why certain foods are less healthy than others, and encourage them to become interested in what they are eating.
Targeting Children, Parents, and Society
But the BHF is also targeting the government, food industry, local authorities, schools and parents to get involved. The BHF has identified three critical areas for change:
- Stop the marketing of unhealthy food and drink products to children
- Ensure that nutritious food is affordable, accessible and appealing for children and parents
- Provide children with opportunities to learn practical cooking skills
