I FOUND it interesting that a healthy eating campaign has been launched in Bolton (“Do You Love British Food?”, The Bolton News, September 25).

Initiatives like this must be welcome at a time when the NHS is under pressure from having to treat the increase in medical conditions related to unhealthy eating. It is possibly no coincidence that Royal Bolton is struggling to meet its A&E targets — perhaps too many resources are having to be diverted elsewhere.

I also found it interesting that it was reported (Observer, September 19) that Jamie Oliver can no longer be guaranteed local authority funding for his successful Ministry of Food project in Rotherham, as the £130,00 local authority grant that keeps this project running is set to be axed because of spending cuts.

However, if the facts quoted in the Observer’s article are correct, this project has so far taught 6,500 people to cook and eat healthily, using fresh ingredients (ie not stuff from jars and packets and takeaways). Projected nationally, Jamie Oliver estimates that it would cost a total of £60m if a similar project was run in every local authority and that this would result in a huge reduction in the current £4billion spent by the NHS in treating obesityrelated diseases.

Now that does seem like a sensible way to achieve a cut in public expenditure. However, as local authorities (even in areas where obesity-related illness is high) are unlikely to put up the money, Jamie Oliver says he is now looking for local business to fund these projects.

With all the projected healthy eating benefits, this seems like a reasonable idea. I could certainly think of worse things that some of the dilapidated empty shops in Bolton town centre could be used for.

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