School children in EU to get more fruit and vegetables
ELITSA VUCHEVA
09.07.2008 @ 08:49 CET
School children could soon receive free fruit and vegetables in school, under a proposal unveiled by the European Commission on Tuesday (8 July) aimed at reducing the number of overweight children in the EU.
Fresh fruit and vegetables worth 90 million of EU money would be distributed to schools, while member states participating in the programme are to provide matching funds.
Children do not eat enough fruit, says Brussels (Photo: morguefile.com)
The scheme which will now come before the European Parliament and EU member states for approval aims to create healthy eating habits among children in order to tackle the steadily rising numbers of obese young people.
Some 22 million children in the 27-nation bloc are currently estimated to be overweight - more than five million of these are obese.
Brussels hopes that the free provision of fruit and vegetables will make a difference "particularly in underprivileged areas," as "families with a lower level of income tend to consume less fruit and vegetables."
"Giving kids good habits at an early age is crucial as they will carry these into later life. Too many of our children eat far too few fruit and vegetables and often don't appreciate how delicious they are," EU agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel stated.
"You only have to walk down any high street in Europe to see the extent of the problems we face with overweight kids," she added.
An appropriate diet could reduce obesity rates in the short term as well as health risks at a later stage such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to experts.