BY IEVA STURINA

When you consider that a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar is so inexpensive and easy to eat on the go, you can see why some children eat too many. It would be easier to limit if they weren’t so available and cheap.

We are busy with school, with homework, after-school clubs and our friends - sometimes it is just easier to eat snack food than to stop for lunch or have a proper cooked tea at home.

When young people have the money, they like to treat themselves and having a takeaway at a friend’s house is sociable. Days out are often when we eat less healthily and snack on junk food.

My mum works all week and sometimes she is too tired to cook, so pizza is a good alternative, occasionally.

Some days, my sister and I cook and I enjoy it. My gran cooks for us as well and, when we are all eating together, it is much cheaper to cook fresh - not like buying fish and chips, processed food or ready meals from the supermarket.

But it is not always easy with everybody’s busy schedules - lots of my friends have parents who are very busy with work. I prefer cooked meals to junk food, but most of my friends would rather have a burger, chips or pizza.

I know parents think we should have salad or some kind of vegetables and fruit every day, so obviously it’s trying to get a balance.

We have really healthy school meals with lots of variety and even drinks and snacks are low in fat and sugar.

Sweets and chocolate are too cheap and fizzy drinks are also bad - there is too much sugar in all these things which is what I think is the main problem.

Amongst my friends,there does not seem to be a problem with weight, but then we are all very active with dancing and sport which is also what helps keep young people healthy.

It is about balance, I suppose.