Three in five teens eat fast food every week

Irish teenagers crave junk food but don’t feel they are eating badly or are overweight, according to a new survey.

Three in five young people eat fast food at least weekly and almost one-third say they eat “a lot” of junk food, the survey of 500 teenagers shows.

One in three teenagers have soft drinks at least daily while only half eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables each day.

Boys were slightly more likely than girls to consume junk food and soft drinks but they were more active physically. Three-quarters of boys take part in team sports compared to half of girls, while 46 per cent of boys take daily physical exercise, against 39 per cent of girls.

For many girls, their physical exercise is confined to walking, with only hockey, camogie, GAA and basketball being participated in by girls to any great extent.

Virtually all teenagers say they are happy and feel great mentally, with 88 per cent saying they feel great physically.

When asked whether they would prefer to look good or feel healthy, 16 per cent opted for looking good. Some 14 per cent of teenagers said they were concerned about their heart health.

The survey was released to coincide with the second year of the Pumped Schools' Video Awards by Leinster rugby player Fergus McFadden and Olympic pentathlete Natalya Coyle.

Mr McFadden said it was important to get the message out to young people about the need to look closely at what they are eating and how much exercise they are taking.

More information on the competition, which is supported by the Irish Heart Foundation and the Federation of Irish Sport, is available from pumped.ie.