Salt warning to the takeaway generation: Teens risk health by eating one ready-meal a day Teens risk health by eating one ready-meal a day

One in six young people eats a salt-laden ready-meal or takeaway every day, a survey shows.Many have three or more a week, but an astonishing 16 per cent indulge daily.Only half of teenagers realise the high-salt content of such foods, researchers found.Across all ages, nine out of ten people knew that too much salt was bad for their health, but 40 per cent did not know that adults should eat no more than 6g – or a teaspoonful – a day.The survey of 3,000 people was released by Siemens and The Stroke Association to raise awareness of the hazards of ‘ hidden’ salt in processed foods.Eating high levels of salt and taking too little exercise can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major cause of stroke.However, 64 per cent of people told researchers they were unconcerned about their salt intake, while 57 per cent said they had no idea how much they were eating.
Under-18s were the most likely to check the salt content of food (21 per cent read product labels, compared to a national average of 10 per cent).