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How junk food will make kids age

Warnings about children’s unhealthy lifestyles are common, but experts are now showing how junk food fans could look in middle age.

Computer wizardry allowed one family to see how their children will look at 40, if they do not change their habits.

Child health experts are overseeing the experiment for the BBC3 show Honey We’re Killing the Kids!

Julie Buc, whose children loved eating fried food and sweets, said she was shocked by the images she saw.

‘Got to change’

Her children, Jason, aged 10, and Joanna, eight, also enjoyed up to two litres of fizzy drinks each day.

They ate their food while watching TV, and did not have a set bedroom routine.

A team of experts, led by child psychologist Kris Murrin, used data from Institute of Child Health-approved medical and scientific tests to collate information on the Stockport family’s lifestyle.

They then used high-tech computer graphics to show how the children would look as adults.

Julie said: “All those years that we’ve been giving the children what they want has got to change and I’m actually quite scared.”

The psychologists and nutritionists gave the family a four-week plan on how to change their dietary and living habits.

Julie and her husband Jimmy were told to set bedtimes for 8.30, to eat at the dining table, and to introduce a healthier diet.

Sugary drinks, sweets, fried foods and crisps were banned, and salads, fruits and vegetables were introduced.

‘We’ve changed’

Jason said: “It’s been really good eating at the table, but I think it’s good for the family to tell each other what they’ve been doing during the day.”

The children also took up new hobbies, including ballet, to encourage them to exercise more.

The family were even encouraged to go orienteering together.

At the end of the project, Jimmy Buc said: “The most important things to me are my wife and my children, and I want my children to be successful.

“I hope my children will be now, because we have changed, and there’s no way we will be going back.”

Add comment June 30th, 2005

Health Tip: Moldy Food Alert

If your cheese or bread has grown mold, don’t merely cut off the moldy part and eat the section that still looks okay.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, mold can grow where you can’t see it, especially in high-moisture or porous foods. So if you see mold on foods such as bread, soft cheeses, grain, meats, dairy foods, or fruits and vegetables, it’s best to throw out the entire package.

Mold on hard cheese can be cut off one inch around all sides of the mold, but take care to keep the knife out of the mold to avoid contamination. And throw out the old wrap in which it was stored.

Add comment June 30th, 2005