Policy into practice - Healthy eating
Anne Longfield
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A healthy and nutritious diet is an important factor in leading a healthy lifestyle and can prevent obesity and disease in later life. But many children and young people do not always have the information to make decisions about what they eat as parents and schools often determine their meals.
Studies show a link between low socio-economic backgrounds and poor dietary health. The introduction of nutritional standards for school meals is a welcome initiative. Government pilots to extend free school meals will help test out the impact of more children being able to enjoy the benefits of healthy eating during the school day.
We must get behind these initiatives to help break down health inequalities and poor eating habits and lay the foundations for young people to live healthy and happy lives.
CASE STUDY 1
The Mend (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition ... Do it!) programme is an all-round fun course for the family to get fit and healthy.
Children aged seven to 13, who are above the healthy weight, are given free and practical advice on how to improve their health, fitness and body image. The interactive workshop includes an hour of fun exercise for children while parents share experiences in group discussions ranging from nutritional facts to how to eat a balanced diet.
Working holistically with both parents and young people, Mend is teaching young people to adopt healthier attitudes and lifestyles with long-term measurable effects. Positive results have been demonstrated with an improvement in 97 per cent of children's diets attending the Mend programme.
Recognising that bad eating habits begin at an early stage, Mini-Mend has been set up for two- to four-year-olds to give toddlers the best possible start in life.
CASE STUDY 2
In response to above average obesity levels in the area, Nottinghamshire Primary Care Trust has developed a range of innovative programmes to help families and children lead a healthier lifestyle.
Big Cooks Little Cooks are themed sessions aimed at getting parents and children active in the kitchen, learning how to cook healthy options and trying new foods for better nutritional choices. Giving young people the power to decide what to eat, the sessions are bringing families together and inspiring creativity around meal times.
In response to a survey, 100 per cent of parents said that they have experimented with new foods and learned helpful food facts with their children. Other initiatives are also being explored in Nottinghamshire to cater for all age ranges, including Baby Cafes for mums and children, Grub Gang homework club for teenagers and targeted in-school workshops aimed at nursery to Key Stage 3 students.
