Transcript Children`s diets

Children’s diets:
where are we going?
Dr Carrie Ruxton
Principal Nutrition Consultant
What we know about children’s
diets in the UK
Most children not meeting diet targets
Added sugars
86%
Total fat
58%
Saturated fat
92%
Salt
72%
Fibre
85%
Fruit & vegetables
96%
National Diet & Nutrition Survey (2000)
Energy sources skewed
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Bread
Cereal
Milk
Chips
Crisps
National Diet and Nutrition Survey n=837, 4-10 years
Drinks
Meat
Sweets
Av. vitamins & minerals OK
Key nutrients as % recom m ended intakes
250
% recommended
200
VitA
150
Folate
VitC
Iron
100
Calcium
50
0
Boys
Girls
4-6 yrs
Boys
Girls
7-10 yrs
Boys
Girls
11-14 yrs
Some children have low intakes
% children below LRNI
25
20
Vit A
Vit B2
Folate
Iron
Calcium
15
10
5
0
4-6 y
7-10 y
National Diet & Nutrition Survey (2000)
11-14 y
Many school lunches not meeting
nutrient targets
60
50
40
% 30
20
10
0
Fat
Sugar
Source: Nelson et al (2005)
Fibre
Vit A
Vit C
Folate Calcium
Iron
UK children getting fatter
35
% children
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
02
20
Overweight
01
20
0
/0
99
19
Obese
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
English girls 6-10y
Government response
Food Standards Agency ideas
• Signposting – labelling that shows at a glance
whether foods healthy or not
• Controls on food advertising to children
• Action to reduce salt in products by setting
targets for industry
• Regulations for school meal caterers
• Regulations for schools e.g. vending,
tuckshops
• Guidance for parents for pack lunches
Signposting
• Labelling initiative
• FSA wants
consumers to choose
more green foods and
reduce red foods
• Voluntary scheme
• Traffic light system
tested on consumers
Implications for industry
• FSA wants signposting on ready meals,
breakfast cereals, coated poultry & fish,
meat products, pizzas, sandwiches
• All spreads classified as RED even if
‘low fat’. Low sugar jams still RED.
• Target for ‘total sugar’ not added sugar
and cut-off lower than expected
• Naming and shaming?
Advertising curbs
• FSA wants OfCom to ban adverts of ‘less
healthy’ foods to children
• FSA-funded research showed children desire
foods when exposed to advertising
• Industry claims that children respond to
category advertising but don’t increase
overall intakes
• OfCom put ideas out to consultation,
including partial and full bans
• Response and decision awaited
Nutrient profiling
• Formula:
‘A’ points for energy, saturated fat, added sugar, salt
MINUS
‘C’ points for fruit, veg, nuts, protein, fibre
• Food classified as ‘less healthy’ if final
score >=4
• Beverage classified as ‘less healthy’ if
final score >=1
Implications for industry
• Advertising curbs will most affect
confectionery, breakfast cereals, soft
drinks and fast foods
• FSA recommended that all forms of
marketing addressed e.g. texts,
websites, promotions
• Opportunity for companies with
healthier product ranges
Other policies influencing
children’s food
School Fruit & Vegetable Scheme
• 4-6 year olds
• 1 piece of fruit or veg
per day in term-time
• Evaluation showed no
long-term benefits
• Now being reevaluated
Fruit & veg evaluation
Baseline
Fruit
Fruit juice
Vegetables
Fruit & veg
Snacks/desserts
F&V at home
F&V at school
1.65
0.57
1.53
3.56
3.4
1.98
0.94
* Statistically different from baseline
Phase 1
1.99 *
0.63 *
1.57
3.98 *
3.3
1.82 *
1.53 *
Phase 2
1.65
0.56
1.62
3.67
3.1
1.73
1.31
England, Wales, Northern Ireland
• School Food Trust to provide leadership
• Ongoing revision of school lunch standards
including pack lunch targets
• Ofsted to monitor quality of meals
• Training for school caterers
• Free fruit & vegetable scheme
• Tuck shop and vending policies
• Guidelines on packed lunches for parents
Scotland
Scottish Diet
Action Plan
Physical activity
strategy
Hungry for Success
Active Schools
Republic of Ireland
• Voluntary food & nutrition guidelines for
primary schools introduced 2003
• Emphasis on health promotion and the
Food Pyramid
• Few Irish children take school lunches
• Fruit and veg promotion via Food Dudes
Conclusions
• Children’s diets need improving but they
are not as bad as the media make out
• Plenty of new Govt initiatives aimed at
restricting and re-directing children’s
food choices
• Threats and opportunities for industry