Children run junk food risk

Children are being targeted by ads for foods high in fat, sugar and salt

Northern Ireland's school children are dicing with their health because their eating habits are among the worst in the UK.

Andrew Dougal, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association (NICHSA) said young people were in danger because of their addiction to junk food.

"Eleven and 15-year-olds in Northern Ireland have much higher levels of risk factors for future coronary heart disease than that in other parts of the United Kingdom. They are certainly higher than in England," Mr Dougal said.

"They are putting themselves at risk of diabetes two and that, in turn, puts them at risk of stroke."

Research carried out by NICHSA found that for every baked potato served to a child in a canteen in Northern Ireland, 20 portions of chips were served.

Mr Dougal's comments follow an attempt by the Food Commission to ban advertisements for junk foods.

Junk food and sugary drinks are supported by enormous advertising budgets that dwarf any attempt to educate children about health diets Food Commission

The commission said billions of pounds were spent every year marketing junk food to young people.

The adverts, mainly on television and sometimes targeted at children as young as two, were eclipsing any messages given to children about healthy eating, it said.

"Unfortunately, the kind of foods that attract the biggest advertising budgets are the fattiest, and sugariest and saltiest," Kath Dalmeny from the commission told BBC News.

She said parents could not necessarily be blamed because they had no way of telling from the adverts that some cereals, for instance, were 40 or 50% sugar."

The commission has urged the World Health Organisation to consider banning adverts for "energy-dense, low-nutrient" food aimed at children.