A British poll on eating habits found that 36 percent of children were unaware that french fries, or chips, are made from potatoes.
Nearly 1-in-10 of the 1,002 children between 8 and 14 questioned by the British Heart Foundation thought chips were mostly made of oil, while others suggested salt, eggs, flour, and even apples, The Telegraph reported.
Another 37 percent did not know that cheese was made mostly of milk.
"Kids have lost touch with the most basic foods and no longer understand what they are eating," said Peter Hollins, the foundation's director general. "Banning foods or telling children not to eat them is not enough -- we must engage children in understanding why certain foods are less healthy than others."
The group said 440,000 British children are predicted to become overweight or obese in the next two years.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
