http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3837955.stm

Parents 'go hungry' for children
Some Welsh parents are going without food so that they can afford to feed
their children, it is claimed.
The Going Hungry report by children's charity NCH says 46% of UK parents on
a low income have gone short of food for the sake of their family.

It also claims one in four children and parents never eat green vegetables
or salad.

It calculated the cost of a healthy food basket in Wales at 14% more than
the unhealthy equivalent.

Consumers could expect to pay £23.78 for a basket of healthy food, compared
to £20.92 for its unhealthy counterpart.
It also found that one in three parents had to travel more than two miles
to supermarkets, adding an extra £3.71 to their food bill.

Free breakfasts

The problem of finding healthy food was even greater in rural areas, with
fresh fruit and vegetables especially difficult to locate.

The report was compiled by the Food Commission and led NCH to urge the UK
government to focus on the effect on poverty on the eating habits of the
young.

But while the charity praised the Welsh Assembly Government for its efforts
to tackle young diet issues - including encouraging schools to offer free
breakfasts - it warned that more action was needed.

Jayne Isaac, NCH Cymru's policy officer, said: "It is right to be concerned
about rising levels of childhood obesity, but NCH's new report shows it's
unfair to place all the blame on parents and children.

"The comparatively high cost of healthy food and sophisticated marketing
used to encourage children to eat junk food are also significant factors".

She said NCH was encouraged by the assembly government "beginning to
address these issues by funding food projects in the most disadvantaged
areas."

Ms Isaac said: "These include free breakfast, food co-ops and fresh food in
schools.

"A limited number of children are being reached by these initiatives and
much more needs to be done by the government and food industry."

NCH is focussing on several Welsh areas - Blaenau Gwent, Port Talbot,
Swansea and Neath - in an effort to raise awareness of healthy eating.

Tim Lobstein, a director of the Food Commission who wrote the report, said
it was difficult enough for families on low incomes without the problems
which prevented them enjoying healthy food.

He said: "For the poorest families things are getting worse, with the cost
of healthier foods rising faster than inflation, while junk food remains
cheap and widely available."


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3837955.stm

Published: 2004/06/25 05:55:06 GMT

© BBC MMIV

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