16th Jan 2017 - 09:56
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![Is paying children to eat more healthily the answer? Obesity children national forum greens pay](/sites/default/files/styles/single_page/public/images/kid.jpg?itok=-B39Wlbn)
Abstract
The head of the National Obesity Forum Tam Fry has proposed parents should consider offering their children financial rewards to eat their greens in an effort to turn around the nation’s health.
His comments, reported in yesterday’s Sunday Times, suggested that putting small amounts of money into a bank account for a child in exchange for eating their vegetables could be an effective solution to rising levels of childhood obesity.
He is quoted as saying: “Green vegetables have a bitter taste to children, but they must understand from an early age that not everything is sweet.
“Any reward you might offer them to eat their vegetables must be something of value. Money is a good incentive, it is a tangible reward for children eating their vegetables, but allows them to understand the value of money and how to save it for later in life.”