The BHF conducts 'Food4Thought' campaign

09/11/05 More than one in three children do not know what chips are made of, a survey for the British Heart Foundation reveals. A worrying 36% of 8-14 year-olds could not correctly identify the main ingredient as potato, despite chips being a firm favourite on most children's plates.

Nearly one in ten of the 1,000 children questioned thought chips were mostly made of oil, while others suggested eggs, flour, and even apples.

The findings are revealed as the BHF launches a major new campaign, Food4Thought, to get children – in particular 11 and 12 year olds - thinking about what is in their food and how they can make heart healthier choices.

On billboards nationwide from are arresting posters showing the common ingredients of cheeseburgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. The images of gristle, bones and connective tissue are obscured using a ‘censored' stamp. The stamp can be peeled back to reveal the full ingredients on the campaign website, www.bhf.org.uk/food

With a further 440,000 UK children predicted to become overweight or obese in the next two years and a quarter predicted to be obese by 2020, poor nutrition among children is a critical issue needing urgent attention.

As well as talking to children, the campaign is also targeting the Government, food industry, local authorities, schools and parents to call on them to play their part in the solution.

The BHF has identified three critical areas for change:

- Stop the marketing of unhealthy food and drink products to children
- Ensure nutritious food is affordable, accessible and appealing for children and parents
- Provide children with opportunities to learn practical cooking skills

The packs, designed as giant crisp packets, include celebrity posters, collectible cards, stickers and a fun magazine – all aimed at getting children interested in what's on their plate. They will complement the 5,000 teachers' packs being sent to secondary schools across the UK to get the issue into the classroom.

Children and parents are being urged to visit the campaign microsite, bhf.org.uk/food, to see the uncensored contents of the adverts and find out more about what's on their plate.

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