Free food may tackle EU obesity

EU plan suggests free fruit and vegetables to tackle childhood obesity Plan would cost $140 million a year and needs to be approved by EU nations About 22 million children in EU are overweight BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union will aim to spend €90 million ($140 million) a year to provide free fruit and vegetables to schools across the continent to tackle child obesity, an official said Tuesday. An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight because of bad eating habits. More than 5 million of these are clinically obese and this figure is expected to rise by 400,000 every year, according to the EU. A healthy diet plays a key role in reducing obesity and avoiding cardiovascular and other diseases stemming from excess weight in later life. "You only have to walk down any high street in Europe to see the... [read full story]