The European Commission will unveil a new healthy eating campaign to fight childhood obesity next week, majoring on fresh fruit and vegetables.
Outgoing agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel will launch 'Eat it, Drink it, Move it: the EU’s Tasty Bunch' on Monday in Brussels. The campaign consists of three roadshows that will set off from EU headquarters, giving children across Europe, including the UK, a chance to take part in on-the-spot activities and games. The European Commission will also launch an interactive website, competitions and other events with one goal in mind - to change children’s eating habits for the better. To help get the message across, Belgian tennis champion Justine Henin and eight-year-old Guinness world record swimmer Rosolino Cannio will be lending their support.
The new campaign, which is financed entirely by the EU common agricultural budget, will run alongside the EU’s School Fruit Scheme and School Milk Scheme. In the UK, the roadshow will take in Cardiff, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Lisburn and Newry. Fourteen characters in the Tasty Bunch will visit two schools a day with the message: “Eat Well, because it’s fun to be fit".
The first year of the scheme will be worth €1,34 million (£1.2m) in the UK and is co-financed at 51 per cent.
In parallel with the roadshow, an interactive treasure hunt game will be running over eight weeks on the EU's Tasty Bunch web site. Schoolchildren aged eight to 15 from all over the EU will try to win entertaining and sports prizes.
A spokeswoman said: “For the roadshows, fun is the name of the game. Once healthy eating habits and the importance of a balanced diet have been presented, entertaining team games will be played. A quiz illustrated by slides and impromptu activities will grab the kids’ attention and freebies will serve to reinforce the message.”
