Parents fail to encourage healthy eating habits

PARENTS are failing to encourage children to adopt healthy eating habits even when they know their diet is to blame for childhood obesity, research shows.

While six out of 10 people said diet was to blame for childhood obesity, only one in five said they would discourage children from eating certain convenience foods and snacks.

The survey undertaken by the Food Safety Promotions Board (FSPB) in January also found 25% of 2,000 respondents blamed a sedentary lifestyle for the increasing number of children becoming overweight.