Half the sugar consumed by children comes from snacks and sugary drinks. PHE’s new Change4Life campaign launched on 2 January calls on parents and children to “be snack smart and cut back on sugary foods”.
Currently, children are typically eating three or even four high-calorie or unhealthy sugary snacks or drinks a day, leading to longer term health problems including tooth decay and obesity. New campaign guidelines encourage parents to give their children fruit and vegetables wherever possible, as well as limit packaged snacks to no more than two per day, of no more than 100 calories each. Examples offered include rice cakes with cucumber and cream cheese, boiled eggs and vegetable sticks with low fat hummus.
The Children’s Food Campaign welcomes the new campaign, but recognises parents will continue to face an uphill struggle whilst kids are still exposed with advertising and marketing of sugary snacks and drinks associated with cartoon characters, celebrity endorsements, film tie-ins and games. We will continue to monitor and share how companies are marketing unhealthy foods to kids, through Operation Eagle Eye, and our Parents’ Jury, and encourage parents to get involved with supporting these too.
Children's Food Campaign: Better food and food teaching for children in schools, and protection of children from junk food marketing are the aims of Sustain's high-profile Children's Food Campaign. We also want clear food labelling that can be understood by everyone, including children.
