Efforts to change diets bear fruit

Children who regularly eat fruit at school also eat more fruit
outside school hours, according to a new survey.

More than one in four children and their families ate more fruit at
home after their school joined the National School Fruit Scheme,
suggests the government-funded study.

Health minister John Reid announced that the government is to spend
£77m rolling out the scheme across England. This will entail
distributing fruit to two million children in 18,000 schools.

Using a sample of 1,000 parents and children, the NOPsurvey found
that nearly half of parents questioned said the scheme had made
them more aware of the importance of fruit for a healthy
diet.

A million children age between four and six in England are now
receiving free fruit everyday under the scheme, which so far has
been operating in London, East Midlands, West Midlands and North
West England, funded with £48m from the New Opportunities
Fund.