WITH fast food and computer games becoming ever more popular with the younger generation, the NHS has warned that poor diet and lack of exercise could be putting children at risk.

The culture of snacking on crisps and fizzy drinks and spending free time in front of televisions and computers is leading to an increase in obesity in children and the possibility of problems like diabetes and heart disease in later life.

But one Worcestershire school has set a fine example by promoting the healthy physical and mental wellbeing of its pupils.

Defford-cum-Besford CE First School in Defford, near Pershore, was presented with a healthy eating certificate by Worcestershire County Council and the NHS at its harvest festival last week for its efforts to encourage pupils to have healthier lifestyles.

The school took part in the government initiative to provide healthier school environments and concentrated on the area of wellbeing, with healthy eating and a garden next to the school playground where the children can relax.

Over the last 18 months the overgrown patch of land has been converted into an area where pupils grow vegetables, sunflowers or just sit on the benches watching activity in the pond and bug area.

The children were involved in every step of the Jubilee Cross Garden, from design through to construction, with help from school governors John Monks, Richard Neath and Alan Pallister and funding from local resident Eileen Cross, who wanted to give something back to the community when her husband Edward died.

About 20 pupils in the top two years at the school are in the eco-club, which helps organise work in the garden, and are working towards their green flag environmental award.

The vegetables grown in the garden, which include marrows, broadbeans, potatoes, lettuces, squash and beetroot, have been given to the harvest festival.

Some pupils have also taken vegetables home and teacher Jan Youd said they might even try selling them at the school.

Year Four pupil Zeno McDonald is a keen gardener and has watched his sunflower sprout up while other pupils have been less successful.

"I do planting and gardening, I water the flowers and the vegetables, pull up the weeds and sweep the path. I took home two lettuces which I had in my sandwiches," he said.

School nurses have visited to educate pupils about having healthy items in their lunchboxes and healthy drinks like water and milk are provided by the school.

Each pupil also has a piece of fruit, usually an apple, orange, banana, pear or carrot, every day and two pupils are compost monitors each day to ensure that leftover fruit is composted and put back into the garden.

Mrs Youd said: "During a health week at the school, pupils learned how to make gardens out of stones, parents came in to enjoy activities like skipping and indoor games as well."

Year Four pupils Ella Gibbons and Sophie Halliday said they also attended an eco-conference last summer where they came top of their age group in an ecological quiz and listened to a talk by Adam Henson of Countryfile.

Headteacher Janet Brown said schools have an important role in ensuring healthy lifestyles for children.

"The schools are backing up the parents and the parents are backing up the school, so we are helping each other," she said.