A TEAM at a children’s charity which supports Furness families has backed an MP’s call to get fresh fruit and vegetables subsidised in the fight against poverty and childhood obesity.

Stark new figures show 30 per cent of four and five-year-olds in Furness are overweight.

The National Child Measurement Programme data reveals that hundreds of Furness children are not getting a healthy start in life – and a link between poverty and obesity is strongly suspected.

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock is urging the government to make it a priority for fresh fruit and vegetables to be more affordable in local shops in a bid to tackle child obesity.

Mr Woodcock has written to Michael Gove, the environment secretary, urging him “to include in the forthcoming child obesity strategy a measure to subsidise fresh fruit and vegetables in corner shops and convenience stores”.

The MP is also encouraging Mr Gove to pilot such a scheme in Furness.

A team that works to help Furness families through support programme and courses, including healthy eating, has backed the idea, but says subsidising the fresh produce alone would not solve the problem.

There are seven Furness Sure Start Children’s Centres throughout Barrow, Walney and Dalton, which are run by Action for Children and work with families with children aged up to 12.

The centres host the eight-week Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young courses to give parents and carers of children up to the age of five years tools and skills they need to provide a healthy family lifestyle.

The course covers healthy living, addressing concern around a child’s weight, looking at portion sizes and reading labels, giving encouragement to be more active, adopt healthy eating patterns and parenting styles.

Michelle Doherty, service manager for the Furness Sure Start Children’s Centres, says addressing poverty and childhood obesity is “very complex” and “multi-factored”.

Mrs Doherty said: “Subsidising fresh fruit and vegetables would be a positive move. We would support the call for that. But subsidising those foods would not solve the issue. It has to be coupled with helping to show families how to prepare a decent healthy meal and how they can make that appeal to children.

“Sugar is one of the biggest challenges. Some children have quite a bit of sugar in their diets. The hidden sugars are a problem.”

In his letter to Mr Gove, Mr Woodcock writes: “Deeply shocking statistics show that 30 per cent of four and five-year-olds in Barrow are overweight. As you know, children who do not get a healthy start in life are more likely to struggle at school and suffer health problems throughout their lives. Reducing child obesity is essential if we are to reduce the blight of inequality and poor life choices in Britain.

He added: “Currently, so many families on low incomes feel they just cannot afford more nutritious options or shop day-to-day in local convenience stores where fresh food is currently unavailable.”

Mr Woodcock also urged Mr Gove to measure the “effectiveness and practicality” of the idea before rolling it out countrywide by piloting it in Furness.

The issue of child obesity in Furness is to be highlighted in a three-part report on Granada Reports tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.