The big issue

JUST last week the House of Commons Health Committee warned that children were in the grip of an obesity epidemic and lambasted the UK Government's lamentable lack of action.

In the past 20 years, the prevalence of obesity has risen by 400%, and the number of overweight or obese children increased by 25% between 1995 and 2002. Researchers at the University of Southampton confirmed that food additives are causing behavioural problems in the same generation.

It seems perfectly acceptable nowadays for youngsters to reveal layers of pudgy fat over the top of their tight-fitting jeans.