The British Heart Foundation is trying to do its bit to stop kids in the UK opting for burgers instead of salads. The charity has launched a new website featuring Professor Gunter von Gunter who encourages kids to create a virtual version of themselves.
The free online game, which is called Yoobot, then shows children how their food choices and how much they exercise affects their life expectancy and general well-being.
The charity explains that children should, through this, get a real idea of how the food they eat affects them in the long term.
“Having spent time choosing their diet the child should become familiar with the nutritional content of common foods as well of the implications of such choices.”
“Overall, through allowing children to watch the future unfold before their eyes, it is hoped the game will show them the relevance of the food and lifestyle choices they make now – and encourage them to make healthier choices from an early age”, says the British Heart Foundation.
And why do this? The Foundation says, two-thirds of children are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2050, and at present, almost a third of 10- and 11-year-olds are overweight or obese.