Letter

A salt on snacks!

Dear healthmatters — Rightly, concern is growing over rising rates of obesity in childhood. There is no doubt that children’s diets are at least partly to blame.

But while we are thinking about what our children eat, it is important to note that children’s diets are also very high in salt. This has health implications for later disease, such as high blood pressure and stroke, and also may have immediate harmful effects, such as preventing the achievement of peak bone mass.

Next year’s national salt awareness day, on 29 January 2003, will focus on exactly this issue. Despite requiring less salt than adults, the food children tend to eat – especially snack foods of all kinds – means that their diet is as salty as that of adults.

The day, organised by CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) aims to highlight the health consequences of the type of diet eaten by today’s children, demonstrate where this salt comes from in children’s diets and offer suggestions on improving their diet.

For further information and resources, please contact me at the address below.