Did you Know?

If nothing is done to tackle childhood obesity then this may mean that some of today’s children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents?

Figures from 2003 show nearly 25% of people to be obese and if no action is taken then it is estimated that a third of all girls and one-fifth of boys will be obese by 2020?
Experts say without any intervention, 90% of today's children could be overweight or obese and at risk from serious diseases by 2050.

45% of all children do not go to their nearest school and where the distance to school is over 600 metres then the preferred method of transport is the car. Many children are therefore missing out on regular exercise and it is this type of activity that will help combat obesity.

The Authority welcomed and introduced the 'School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme' in November 2004 whereby all primary schools are now offer pupils under the age of 6 a free piece of fruit or vegetable on every school day?

All maintained schools will be required to deliver compulsory food technology from September 2011.

In 2011, cooking lessons will be compulsory and this plan is all part of the government's move to combat child obesity.

Steps will be put into place to train up skilled and motivated staff to run practical cooking classes and improved new facilities.

The full £56.3m package is:
- £2.1m new investment over the next two years to recruit and train 750 specialist higher-level teaching assistants to help run classes;
- £1.2m for a new continuous professional development programme for train 400 existing teachers to teach practical cooking classes - to increase the number of teachers trained to deliver food technology;
- £53m for new practical cooking spaces in schools - with £300,000 grants each over the next two years for 170 secondary schools. It is the first release of funding from the £150m announced in September 2008 for 515 secondary schools which have no facilites at present.

Contact School Meals Client Officer
Food Safety Team