Chocolate, pop, toys, jellies, sweets and things to catch your eye are all advertised on children's television, but what about fruit and vegetables?
| They shouldn’t advertise so many things with sugar in. |
According to youngsters interviewed by Children's Express Newcastle recently, healthy food does not get advertised on children's television. So what messages are young people getting about eating healthily, and how does that affect their lifestyle?
Children's Express brought together a small group of young people from Newcastle's Cowgate estate to talk about some of the issues.
FITNESS AND FATNESS
Paddy Lockyer, 12: I want to be healthier because you live longer.
Lindsay Marchant, 16: Not necessarily. You could be healthy and die at 26 or you could be unhealthy and die at 86.
Emma Allison, 11: Exercise and healthy eating keeps you fit. If you're fat, you'll not be able to walk around, but if you're fit you'll be able to run and that.
Lindsay: Some people are healthy, eat healthily and do exercise, but they can't help their weight.
Paddy: Skinny people look fitter, but sometimes they're not because they smoke, take drugs and drink.
ADVERTISING
Soft drinks advertisements came in for particular criticism.
Emma: They advertise things they say are healthy, and they're not healthy. They shouldn't advertise so many things with sugar in.
Jade McDonald, 10: They should advertise some healthier things for children, so they'll have a healthier life when they grow up.
CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL
Paddy: I've tried smoking before, but I wouldn't again because when you run you have to stop. You get proper knackered and you can't run anymore.
Emma: It's bad for your heart. You can get heart disease.
Lindsay: It's something to do. It keeps you thin and knocks down your appetite. If I stop smoking I'll be a fat blob. If I've got any young kids next to me or I'm babysitting any young kids then I'll not smoke. If I have a bairn I'd stop smoking.
Paddy: When I'm older I might want a drink. If you don't drink then you won't have as much fun with your friends. You wouldn't be able to celebrate if you didn't have a drink.
Lindsay: You can have a better time with drink because you can have more of a laugh.
EDUCATION
Lindsay: You should be taught at school about healthy living, so you know what you are going to do. For example, if you got taught about smoking at school and not about drinking, then a person might think they're not going to smoke because they know what happens. With drink, they might say they don't know anything about it and think they may as well just do it.
About this article
This article appeared in the Northern Echo.
