Seen the new family of colourful clay characters on TV, on bus stops and in the paper? They're part of the Government's plan to tackle obesity, Change4Life.
Described as a ‘lifestyle revolution' the campaign will help families eat well, move more and live longer. If you'd like to help your family get fitter, visit the Change4Life website and join up!
The Department of Health did research to help work out what families need and they found that:
- Parents can't tell when their children are overweight - just 11.5 per cent of parents with overweight or obese children recognise itParents underestimate how much unhealthy food they buy and overestimate the amount of activity their children do
- Families often use snacks as rewards, to relieve boredom and to settle disagreements
- Lack of knowledge, confidence and skills is the main barrier which stops parents cooking from scratch
There are 8 main sections of the Change4Life campaign - here are just a few examples of their easy-to-follow tips. Click on a heading for more simple ideas to improve your family's health.
Up and about
Parents tend to over-estimate how much energy kids use at school. Remember, they're actually sitting down most of the time. The best way for them to relax after school is for them to be up and active rather than to veg out.
Sugar swaps
Switch from sugary drinks to no added sugar drinks such as water, milk (ideally semi-skimmed - but remember children under 2 need full-fat milk), unsweetened fruit juice or even sugar free fizzy drinks.
Me size meals
Look at the size of your child's fist compared to yours. Not only are their fists, hands and feet smaller than yours, their stomach is too, so when you are serving up remember to give your kids smaller amounts of food than adults, it will still fill them up. Feeding our kids more won't make them grow any quicker, it just leads to fat storing up in their bodies.
Cut back fat
Making a swap is easy to do and means you don't have to miss out. Try switching to oven chips rather than deep frying them, or having a dollop of yoghurt (frozen or fresh) or sorbet instead of having cream or ice cream.
Meal time
Children like to copy their parents, brothers, sisters and friends. So if you can get children to eat together, or you can eat with them, they can see and copy others eating a variety of foods - plus kids enjoy it and it can save a bit of time too.
Snack check
Many families are surprised when they actually count up how many sweets, crisps and biscuits they get through and how much they are spending on snacks. Keep count and you're more likely to cut down - which is good for your kids and for your purse too.
5-a-day
Lentils, beans and peas are all pulses that count towards 5-a-day and they can easily be added to stews and salads.
60 active minutes
Activity doesn't have to cost anything. It needn't mean joining a gym or sports club (although that's great if that's what your children like). Going outside is free and fun is the best gym. So remember - any kind of activity counts towards your children's 60 active minutes.
For lots more on healthy eating for children and toddlers, visit The Binks.
How are the kids?
9 out of 10 of our kids risk growing up with dangerous levels of fat in their bodies. This can cause life-threatening diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Change4Life is a nationwide movement that aims to help you and your family, eat better, move more and live longer. And this fun questionnaire, called ‘How are the kids?', is a great way to get started.
Why should I take part?
Before you start making changes, it helps to know which areas you might like to focus on. How are the kids? can help you find out - we're going to ask you some questions about a typical day in your child's life as far as eating and moving go. After you submit your answers, you'll be sent an Action Plan personalised to your child. It'll be full of handy hints that are fun for kids, easy to do, and designed to fit into busy lives.
To complete How are the kids? and get your free Action Plan, just click here.
We now have two new podcasts related to children. These can be found on the podcast section of the website or can be accessed by clicking on the following links:kids nutrition podcast or dental caries in children.