White bread, savoury snacks, crisps, biscuits, potatoes and chocolate featured strongly in their diet, with 87 per cent of respondents drinking fizzy drinks. This “junk” diet has led to young people eating what nutrition experts regard as an excess of salt and sugar. Children aged between 11 and 14 were getting as much as 31 per cent of their energy from sugar, compared with the recommended level of 11 per cent. Some 2.5 per cent of boys aged between four and six were consuming 8.5g (0.3oz) of salt and a similar proportion of boys aged 15 to 18 were eating 12.5g (0.4oz). The recommended daily intake is 6g (0.2oz).”This study reveals low levels of fruit-and-vegetable consumption among British children – which contribute to high levels of deaths from cancer and heart disease later in life,” Ms Cooper said.The study showed children from poorer backgrounds had much worse diets, were fatter and did less exercise than children with parents in non-manual or professional occupations.”Children growing up on low incomes eat less fruit and vegetables than those on higher income, and they are more likely to be eating no fruit, vegetables or fruit juice at all,” Ms Cooper said.

“We need to make sure that fruit and vegetables are accessible and affordable to everyone.” Work by the Social Exclusion Unit had shown that on many lowincome estates there was no access to shops selling affordable fruit and vegetables.Suzi Leather, deputy chairwoman of the Food Standards Agency, said diets had increas-ingly become a marker for social exclusion, with a widening nutrition gap mirroring theincome divide. “In some areas there is better access to, and more choice of, street drugs than fresh fruits and vegetables,” she said. Ms Leather added that an increasing proportion of young people were overweight, and there was concern that fatter children faced a higher risk of obesity in adulthood.The survey showed that about 40 per cent of boys and 60 per cent of girls were spending, on average, less than one hour a day doing physically intense activities.For every 25g (1oz) of leafy green vegetables boys ate, they consumed nearly 100g of biscuits. Similarly, girls’ consumption of leafy greens was outweighed four to one by their sweets and chocolates intake.Children’s fat consumption has dropped since 1983 with young people getting, on average, slightly above the recommended level of 35 per cent of their energy from fat.The study also showed that 16 per cent of girls aged 15 to 18 were dieting to lose weight..

Doctors’ leaders insisted yesterday that the “god-like” attitude of consultants criticised in the inquiry report on Rodney Ledward, the disgraced consultant gynaecologist, were no longer part of the National Health Service. Doctors’ leaders insisted yesterday that the “god-like” attitude of consultants criticised in the inquiry report on Rodney Ledward, the disgraced consultant gynaecologist, were no longer part of the National Health Service.
Dr Ian Bogle, chairman of the British Medical Association, said doctors were now much more prepared to blow the whistle on incompetent colleagues, and spoke out more readily if NHS managers failed to act.The independent inquiry, led by Jean Ritchie QC, recommends that to counter the “climate of fear and intimidation” in hospitals confidential hotlines be set up in every NHS trust to allow concerns to be registered about an employee, and the health service should support people who have the courage to whistleblow.”The report refers to a culture in the NHS I no longer recognise,” said Dr Bogle “Doctors are now … required to speak out by General Medical Council guidelines, or face disciplinary action.”The report also recommends that disciplinary procedures within the General Medical Council, criticised for being a self-regulating body for the medical profession, are made more efficient so cases against doctors can be heard more quickly and effectively.The report recommends that a civil standard of proof should be required to strike a doctor off the medical register, and the disciplinary hearing should not be seen or conducted as a criminal trial.It also recommends that a circuit judge or an experienced Recorder of the Crown Court sits as chairman on the panel to ensure proceedings are fair and independent.Doctors struck off the medical register are often reinstated within a year. But the inquiry report recommends a similar standard of proof is required to allow them back on.Finlay Scott, chief executive of the GMC, said it would incorporate recommendations of the Ritchie report into overhauled GMC procedures.”The GMC struck Rodney Ledward off but only after local health systems failed over 16 years to prevent patients being harmed,” he said. “We must work together to ensure lessons are learnt and steps are taken to prevent a repeat of this case. We are determined to play our part in that process.”The report also recommends setting up a national system of data collection so benchmarks can be established for a range of medical and surgical specialities which doctors can be assessed against.Every NHS Trust should have access to this data so management is able to identify individuals or areas of concern and act to improve the quality of care for patients.Ms Ritchie said that doctors in general practice who referred patients to a surgeon should have access to his performance records so they could inform their patients.Occupational health assessment of both the physical and mental state of doctors was also recommended each time they moved jobs.The report also recommends there be only one Ombudsman for health matters to deal with complaints from private and NHS patients.. More than 100 women who suffered at the hands of Rodney Ledward gathered yesterday to hear the results of the inquiry into how his mistakes were allowed to blight their lives.