Mersey junk food hot-spot revealed

Mar 29 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

Junk food is causing a growing obesity problem (320)

ST HELENS has been named as the Merseyside borough where school pupils face the most temptations from fast food outlets.

The borough is trying to educate pupils to eat healthily after new re- search found it had the highest number of take- aways per secondary school. The figures by the School Food Trust named St Helens as the “junk food hot-spot” of Merseyside with 26 junk food outlets per school.

According to the trust, Liverpool had 24 outlets per school, Wirral 19, Sefton 18 and Knowsley 14.

St Helens councillor Shirley Evans, executive member for children’s services, said the council would look into the findings.

“Healthy eating is top of our agenda and we try to educate our pupils to choose healthy food and lead healthy lifestyles.

“At a recent schools forums the secondary school teachers were sceptical about how to keep pupils away from junk food but the primary school teachers were very positive.

“They said their pupils were eating healthily and their habits were changing.

“It’s incremental and we’re going to get there but it will take time.”