Experts take child nutrition report to Westminster
ARU’s Nourishing Our Future study is shared with MPs and Chief Medical Officer
Dr Kay Aaronricks, Head of the School of Education at Anglia Ruskin University; Emily Fallon, Wellbeing and Public Health Manager at Essex County Council; Anna Posolda, Harwich Centre Preschool parent and NOF Ambassador; Annmarie Taylor, Deputy Manager of Harwich Centre Preschool; and Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer.
Child nutrition specialists from Essex have presented their landmark report on healthy eating for the under-5s at a parliamentary event organised by the Obesity Health Alliance and attended by the Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty.
The Nourishing Our Future report, led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and commissioned by Essex County Council Public Health, was shared at the event held at the Houses of Parliament focusing on health, obesity and food culture in coastal communities.
Hosted by Chris Webb MP (Blackpool South), it brought together MPs including Sir Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex), alongside leading health experts.
Coastal towns face specific pressures, including pockets of deprivation, rates of obesity that are higher than the national average, and a disproportionate number of unhealthy food options, including takeaways.
Representatives from ARU and Essex County Council were joined at the Houses of Parliament by parents and staff from Harwich Centre Preschool, who spoke about the real-world challenges of providing nutritious food and the creative steps they’ve taken to improve children’s diets.
ARU’s Nourishing Our Future report found that over two thirds (69%) of children in Essex – a county where one in five young children are either living with obesity or are overweight – bring their own food to preschool in the form of lunchboxes.
Children can consume up to 90% of their daily nutrients while at preschool, but the report found that lunchboxes often contain high levels of processed food, with many including unhealthy snacks and even pouches of baby food.
Harwich Centre Preschool is one of 67 Essex preschools that took part in Nourishing Our Future research and it is working with ARU and Essex County Council Public Health and Education departments to both encourage young children to try different foods and help parents identify affordable and healthy lunchbox options.
Harwich Centre Preschool parent Anna Posolda attended the Houses of Parliament event and said: “When my son started nursery, I looked for healthy lunchbox products. Unfortunately, I made the same mistakes as most parents.
“Annmarie [the Deputy Manager of Harwich Centre Preschool] explored food with him, showed him where food came from and how it's made. It changed his mindset completely.”
“We are thrilled with the impact our report is having – including the recent launch of the Essex Early Years Nourishing Our Future Awards – but so much work still needs to be done.
“This Houses of Parliament event highlighted the unique challenges faced in coastal towns, and it was fantastic that staff and parents from Harwich Centre Preschool shared their experiences with MPs and policymakers. It was also an honour to present our work to MPs and Professor Chris Whitty, sharing what we’re doing to try and tackle some of these issues here in Essex.”
Dr Kay Aaronricks, Head of the School of Education at ARU and lead author of Nourishing Our Future
“We are delighted to see the continued profile and impact of our Nourishing Our Future work with ARU and the early years sector in Essex. We thank the Obesity Health Alliance for the opportunity to present this important work.
“Harwich Centre Preschool is a wonderful example of what happens when the early years sector and parents prioritise food and nutrition and children’s health. We are proud of their continued dedication, and the other settings across Essex working towards their NOF awards.”
Cllr John Spence, Essex County Councillor's Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care