New campaign promotes healthy eating

(Photo: Ilker)

It's time to burn off the Christmas pud and mince pies with the launch of a new healthy eating campaign across the UK today.

The Change4Life 'Be Food Smart' initiative aims to expose unhealthy foods and encourage people to make smarter food choices.

Graphic adverts reveal that a bottle of cola contains 17 sugar cubes while a large pizza is loaded with enough fat to fill a wine glass.

The adverts are designed to make people think about the food they are eating and make choices with less salt, saturated fat and sugar.

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the campaign but hopes it will lead to more than short-term change.

"This certainly looks like a tasty partnership between the food industry and Government but we need to make sure it's not just a flash in the pan," she said.

"If we're to lessen the heavy burden of obesity this campaign must provide the spark for a continued, joined-up approach to the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity across the UK

"We all have a responsibility for the food we eat and cook at home but it's important we're supported and encouraged to make healthy choices by our environment.

"What we see on TV, the labels on packaging and the way we learn about food and cooking all play their part and can make a healthy difference to our diets."