Eating crisps is equal to drinking oil - Study

Parents definitely will get a shock after hearing that their children are not just eating a packet of crisps a day rather consuming almost five litres of cooking oil a year. This shocking fact was revealed by British Heart Foundation, which makes intensive efforts to combat premature death and disability from cardiovascular diseases.

According to the figures released by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), 50% of children admit to eating at least one packet of crisps daily and one in five children, aged 8 to 15, is consuming two packets or more of crisps a day which is equal to at least nine litres of oil a year.

In its new campaign, the foundation stressed on the dangers of hidden salt, fat and sugar in many common snacks, takeaway and ready to eat foods.

The Foundation yesterday launched the second phase of its Food4Thought campaign and delivered the figures to aware the parents about the fact, just before World Heart Day which is on Sunday.

To make its campaign more impressive, the foundation has showed a girl drinking from a bottle of cooking oil with the caption "What goes into crisps goes into you", in its advertisement. In a specific 35g packet of crisps there is approximately two and a half teaspoons of oil.

“The BHF believes that having a daily dose of such a high-fat, nutritionally poor product is a threat to children’s long-term health. Daily unhealthy snacking is a worrying habit. Rising rates of childhood obesity and cases of type 2 diabetes paint a particularly grim picture for the future,” Professor Peter Weissberg, BHF Medical Director, said. “The BHF wants to expose the truth lurking within these foods and to help children and parents make healthier choices,” he added

As a part of campaign, nearly 2,500 schools across UK will also be sent teaching resources in the shape of oversized burger boxes, in an attempt to make children more aware of how the consumption of certain foods can damage their hearts.

BSF is leading the battle against heart and circulatory disease, the UK’s biggest killer and is a major sponsor and authority in cardiovascular research, education and care. Data from a global supplier of consumer, media and market research, Mintel revealed that Britain consumed a tonne of crisps every three minutes.

In its survey, the foundation observed that the crisp habit was just one aspect of unhealthy eating the ready or takeaway foods were also significantly making their contribution in it. The BHF found that up to three quarters of mothers fed their children ready or takeaway meals more than three times a week.

Moreover, as per a report published in 2004, only 13% of boys and 12% of girls reported eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables daily.

Food and Drink Federation, an organization that represents and advises the UK food and drink manufacturers, rendered the British Heart Foundation's campaign as "scare tactics".

FDF Communications Director Julian Hunt said: "We welcome anything that raises the debate about diet, but scare tactics are a waste of time. One of the great things about our industry is that we strive to give consumers genuine choice, whether it is a better for you version or a completely reformulated standard product."