Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to offer dietary education programmes to children and parents to help curb childhood obesity.
We recognise that consumer education is an important aspect of our childhood obesity plan and we are continuing to support Public Health England’s flagship Change4Life social marketing campaign which encourages children and families to eat well, move more and live longer. Recent Change4Life nutrition campaigns have provided practical information to parents on healthier snacking and on the sugar, salt and saturated fat content of everyday food and drink. Campaigns include direct to parent communications via the media and close partnership working, including with primary schools across England, other Government departments, the National Health Service, local authorities, businesses and charities.
Maintained schools already teach children about food, nutrition and healthy eating and how to cook a repertoire of dishes as part of the national curriculum. The primary and secondary science curriculum also includes content about what constitutes a healthy diet. For example, this includes the importance of eating the right amounts of different types of food, the impact of diet on the way our bodies work and the consequences of an imbalanced diet.
Alongside this, schools are encouraged to use the School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme, which contributes towards the recommended five portions a day, as an opportunity to educate children about fruit and vegetables and to assist a healthy, balanced diet.