Families in Herefordshire are invited to “Be Food Smart” when Public Health England’s (PHE) Change4Life roadshow visits Hereford during April.
The roadshow will visit the Tesco superstore in Abbotsmead Road, Hereford on Thursday 13 April from 10am to 6pm.
Recent reports show that childhood obesity in England has reached alarming rates. Currently, 23.3% of 4 to 5-year-olds are overweight or obese in the West Midlands, increasing to 36.6% of 10 to 11-year-olds.
PHE’s new Change4Life campaign urges parents to ‘Be Food Smart’ and take more control of their children’s diets.
At the event families will see live demonstrations of the new Be Food Smart app that highlights just how much sugar, saturated fat and salt can be found in everyday food and drink that their children consume. They will also receive free Be Food Smart information packs, making it easier to make the healthier choice at home.
The free app helps and encourages families to choose healthier options and works by scanning the barcode of products allowing parents to compare brands, and features food detective activities for children and mini missions the whole family can enjoy.
Dr Lola Abudu, director of Health and Wellbeing for PHE West Midlands, said: “The latest child obesity figures for the West Midlands region show just how important it is for families to know what they are putting on their plates. That’s why we’ve developed our Be Food Smart App, taking some of the pressure off parents and helping them to choose healthier food and drink options for their children.”
The campaign also helps parents identify the health harms of children eating and drinking too much sugar, saturated fat and salt, including becoming overweight or obese and developing tooth decay.
The new Change4Life ‘Be Food Smart’ campaign is touring the country, visiting 29 shopping centres and 40 supermarkets nationally, with nine stops in the West Midlands region.
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