Brussels, 25/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 28 September, Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel will launch a new campaign to encourage young people to eat more healthily, complementing European schemes promoting fruit, milk and dairy products in schools.
“Eat it, drink it, move it” is the message the Commission is trying to get across in schools, through activities (team games, competitions, prizes) organised by taste-teams who will visit Belgium, the north of France, Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. Every day, the travelling exhibition will stop at two schools. In all 18,000 children from 180 schools will hear the message, “Eat well and stay healthy”. At the same time as the travelling exhibition, an interactive treasure hunt will take place over eight weeks on the web site of the EU taste-team. Almost 22 children in the EU are overweight and 5 million of these are obese. Young people who are not aware of the need to eat and drink healthily and reasonably are at risk of contracting illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even early osteoporosis in later life. (L.C./transl.rt)