Four out of five children 'not getting enough fruit and veg'

Eighty per cent of children in England are not eating enough fruit and veg, which may affect their cancer risk in the future, according to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

On average boys aged five to 15 have 3.1 portions of fruit and veg and girls have 3.3 portions per day, according to the Health Survey for England 2008.

One in 14 boys and one in 25 girls did not eat any fruits or vegetables on the day of the survey.

Nutritionist for WCRF Nathalie Winn said: "The fact that only a fifth of children are getting enough fruits and vegetables is a concern because it is important that we encourage children to get into healthy habits as early in life as possible.

"This is because scientific research shows that eating a plant based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and pulses probably reduces the risk of a number of types of cancer later in life.

"There are lots of reasons why fruits and vegetables may protect against cancer. As well as containing a variety of vitamins and minerals, which help to keep the body healthy and strengthen our immune system, they are also a good source of phytochemicals. These are biologically active compounds that may help to protect cells in the body from damage that can lead to cancer.

"Also, having plenty of fruits, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains in your diet is a great way of maintaining a healthy weight. This is important because scientists now say that, after not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important thing you can do for cancer prevention. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits also probably helps reduce risk of heart disease as well.

"A lot has been done over the last few years to promote the health benefits of eating at least five portions a day. But these figures show that there is a lot of work still to do, both in terms of promoting fruits and vegetables and also making them accessible and affordable."

The World Cancer Research Fund's Fruity Friday campaign is aiming to help people get more fruit and veg in their diet.