Promoting Healthier Food Choices in the West Midlands Catherine Goodridge Regional School Food and Health Co-ordinator

Some positive changes In the UK, total energy intake fell by approximately 20% between 1974 and A Day consumption increased between 2001 and % to 26% for men 25% to 30% for women 10% to 17% for boys 13% to 17% for girls Adults eat on average 3.7 portions of fruit and vegetables each day Children now eat on average 3.1 portions of fruit and vegetables each day compared to an average of 2 portions in 2001

Is eating healthily considered to be important? Healthy eating was seen to be relatively more of a concern in London (27%), the East Midlands (27%) and the West Midlands (26%) (The Information Centre)

These days its not that important that families sit down together for meals 52% of West Midlands’ respondents disagreed. 65% of women an 51% of men strongly disagreed with this statement. 39% of years olds disagreed. 59% of white respondents disagreed. 47% of non-white respondents disagreed. There was a gradient of disagreement across the social groups (AB 67%, C1,C2 58%, DE 51%). Source: FSA Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards (February 2007)

Can you identify changes children and young people are making to food choices across the school day? A lot of children are bringing in healthy snacks, and children are choosing fruit as part of their breakfast at the club Big increase in school lunch uptake since school employed its own chef and ran canteen along healthy food guidelines A bigger uptake of school dinners - lots of work on these since September, new menus, veg/salad options etc Better choices and better food in lunchboxes Children appear to have healthier lunchboxes containing more fruit items. School cooked lunches allow more choice for healthier options. Children are aware of healthy choices they can make - but don't always make them! Pupils having school cooked meals dropped by about a third in To date numbers have gone up and exceeded by about 50 what they were pre new school food guidelines Children are becoming more willing to try new foods

What are we doing? Research and Evaluation Training and Support Networking and Communication Regional Co-ordination Regional Food Policy Group Regional Food and Health Action Plan Regional Food in Schools Action Group School Food Ambassador Network

How many changes to school food, programmes and initiatives can you name from the last 5 years?

Catering Turning the Tables: Transforming School Food Increase uptake of school meals 4% by March 2008; 10% by September 2009 PSA indicator 2 Percentage of children who have a school lunch National Indicator Number 52 Take up of school lunches Education Every Child Matters Education and Achievement Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well-being 100% of schools to be on the healthy schools scheme by 2009 Food and Public Health Choosing Health: Choosing a Better Diet Childhood Obesity PSA Indicator 3 Ambition by 2020 to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels

School Food Ambassadors 60 Regional Ambassadors Enables effective communication within the region Supports sharing of good practice Ensures joined up working Helps us to replicate good work across the region

Food in Schools Survey 2007 The proportion of schools with whole school food policies has more than doubled - 73% (2007):30% (2005)

Targeted Interventions Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it! – MEND Offered to all 17 West Midlands PCT’s 13 PCT’s will be running 20 programmes in 2008/9 in addition to other targeted interventions Action research project

Other activity Healthy Packed Lunch Workshops Early Years Training School Meal Uptake Whole School Food Policy Research Leisure Centre Food and Drink Survey Social Marketing 5 A DAY