Killing kids

SO THE new school meals initiative has brought about no surprises then. Canteens up and down the country are losing their customers at best to chip shops, worse still to the sweet shops. At least the schools are trying to deliver nutritious meals. But ou

SO THE new school meals initiative has brought about no surprises then. Canteens up and down the country are losing their customers at best to chip shops, worse still to the sweet shops.

At least the schools are trying to deliver nutritious meals. But our children have their own minds about what they want to eat.

Toxic residues of rancid, repeatedly heated polyunsaturated oils daily enter our children's bodies from chips, crisps and the masses of other snacks available over the counter.

Diet drinks contain chemicals that excite the taste buds and leave you wanting more.

They open controlled channels in the membranes of brain cells, allowing excess calcium into the cell leading once again to possible cell death in a poorly nourished child.

In addition, the body craving these foods and drinks is actually starved of nutrition but obesity thrives.

Are these children poorly nourished? You bet your life they are.

They may even be obese and are driven by an addiction to the snacks and drinks we mistakenly believe we buy because we love our children.

In some children it will result in aggressive outbursts as the body experiences withdrawal symptoms and tries to simulate similar biochemical responses.

If we want our children to outlive us we must act now, take real responsibility, remove choice and insist on a healthy diet with occasional treats not the other way around.

Jayne Nelson

Emson Close

Saffron Walden