Junk food fears

Your report on the unhealthy nature of children's packed lunches (13 January) highlights a huge concern, that the good work done to encourage healthy eating in schools is being undermined by a wider environment that makes unhealthy choices the norm.

Thanks to TV advertising and other marketing, children want junk food in their lunchboxes instead of healthier options. They are subjected to a multi-million pound bombardment of marketing by food companies which makes them think regularly eating junk food is not only normal but also cool.

That's why campaigners such as British Heart Foundation Scotland have been calling on the UK government to ban all junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed. The current halfway house is woefully insufficient: programmes such as X Factor, which are watched by vast numbers of children, are exempt because they are also watched by many adults.

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The government must act immediately to give children the chance to make healthy choices and avoid life as an obese adult.

BEN McKENDRICK

Senior policy and public affairs manager, British Heart Foundation Scotland

Ocean Drive, Edinburgh

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