article_snippet: Some of the most popular family restaurants are serving children’s meals with dangerously high levels of salt, a survey has revealed.
article_snippet: More than a quarter of meals sampled contained over an entire day’s salt allocation for a child under the age of four.
article_snippet: Experts warned last night that chain restaurants’ disregard for child health risks creating a generation addicted to salt, leading to raised blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
article_snippet: Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash), a charity backed by leading doctors found that 28 per cent of the meals surveyed contained more than 2g of salt, an entire day
article_snippet: Evidence suggests dietary habits in childhood can influence eating patterns later in life.
article_snippet: Salt should therefore not be given to children as this could lead to a “salt addiction” – a preference for salt throughout children lifetime.
article_snippet: This will consequently raise children blood pressure which tracks into adulthood, leading to increased risk of developing strokes and heart attacks.
article_snippet: ’ Cash nutritionist Sonia Pombo said: ‘It’s a scandal that very few restaurants are taking salt reduction seriously, especially when the health of our children is at risk.
highlights_snippet: Experts warned restaurant chains are creating generation addicted to salt .