This survey shows a truly appalling picture of the nutritional health of our young people

Sue Dibb, The Food Commission

Four out of five children aged four to 18 regularly eat snack foods such as chips, biscuits and chocolate.

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People found one-in-five of those asked ate no fruit at all during the week-long study.

The research, published by the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency, also found that most young people aged seven and over were "inactive" - and that girls were even less active than boys.

The study of 1,700 young people also found that their intake of salt was too high, often twice the recommended levels.

However, many children took more vitamin and mineral supplements than was thought.

Poor worst affected

Children from low socio-economic groups had the lowest intakes of energy, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Children's diet

more than 80% of children eat white bread, savoury snacks, chips, biscuits, boiled and mashed potatoes and chocolate only 47% of boys and 57% of girls ate raw and salad vegetables just 40% eat cooked green vegetables and 60% other cooked vegetables three-quarters of young people drink carbonated soft drinks

However, no evidence was found of widespread malnutrition among youngsters.

Sue Dibb, co-director of the Food Commission called for urgent action to address the problem - including a government clampdown on the promotion of unhealthy food by the industry.

She said: "This survey shows a truly appalling picture of the nutritional health of our young people.

"It clearly shows that they are eating far too much saturated fat, sugar and salt.

"Really radical measures have to be taken in order to ensure that there are huge improvements in children's diets."

Suzi Leather: "It can be easier to get drugs than fresh food"

Suzi Leather, of the Food Standards Agency said many people found it difficult to find healthy food.

She said: "When I was doing research in this field people said to me: 'It is very difficult to get fresh fruit and vegetables in this area - in fact the choice of drugs is better'."

Public Health Minister Yvette Cooper said: "The study shows we are right to be concerned about health inequalities in preventing heart disease and cancer, and that those inequalities start in childhood.

"It reveals low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption among British children which contribute to high levels of deaths from cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, and heart disease later in life."

Ms Cooper said work by the Social Exclusion Unit had shown that on many low income estates, there was no access to shops selling affordable fruit and vegetables.

We need to make sure that fruit and vegetables are accessible and affordable for everyone

Yvette Cooper, Public Health Minister

She said: "We need to make sure that fruit and vegetables are accessible and affordable for everyone."

The findings of the report will be considered by experts working on the new National Plan for the NHS.

Ms Cooper said government schemes encouraging children to walk or cycle to school would help to keep children active and cut the risks of heart disease and obesity in later life.

The survey also found:

• around 58% of 15 to 18-year-olds and 16% of 11 to 14-year-olds said they had drunk alcohol during the past week
• average intakes of all vitamins, except vitamin A, and most minerals, except zinc, were above the recommended levels
• children growing up in households with low socio-economic status had lower intakes of energy, fat, vitamins and minerals due to a poor diet
• a third of seven to 14-year-old boys and over half of 15 to 18-year-old boys failed to do moderate exercise for one hour a day
• for girls, the figures were over half of seven to 14-year-olds and two-thirds of 15 to 18-year-olds
• young people are taller and heavier than they were in 1982-83
• better off children were heavier and taller than children growing up in lower-income households

The food industry said it supported government action to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Food and Drink Federation director Martin Paterson said: "Ask anyone in the street, they all know they should eat five portions of fruit and veg every day, but most would confess to not doing so."