Change4Life hits the road in the Black Country - tackling children's obesity
StartFragment...to help families take control of their children’s snackingEndFragment
Families in the West Midlands will get tips for healthier snacking when Public Health England’s (PHE) Change4Life roadshow comes to the Black Country this week. First stop will be Walsall Tesco Extra, Littleton Street on Monday 8 January. Next will be Dudley Tesco Extra at Town Gate Retail Park on Tuesday 9 January, followed by Tesco on New Street in West Bromwich on Wednesday 10 January. All roadshows will be open from 9.30am to 5.30pm.
In February the Change4Life roadshow will also visit Tesco Superstore at Keyway Retail Park in Willenhall (Thurs1 Feb). There will also be stops in Stoke-on-Trent, Telford, Burton, Coventry and Birmingham (see Notes to Editors).
The Change4Life roadshow will visit 30 supermarkets and 14 shopping centres nationwide, encouraging parents to “Look for 100 calorie snacks, 2 a day max”. This is because half the sugar children consume, currently around 7 sugar cubes a day, comes from unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, leading to obesity and dental decay. Recent data show 24.2% of 4- to 5-year-olds (Reception Year) are overweight or obese in the West Midlands region, increasing to 37.1% in 10- to 11-year-olds (Year 6).2
At the event, families will see live demonstrations of the new Change4Life ‘Food Scanner’ app; which works by scanning the barcode of products and helps bring food labels to life by highlighting the number of calories, as well as how much sugar, saturated fat and salt is in everyday food and drinks. Families will also be shown how to swap to healthier snack options using front of pack ‘traffic light’ labels.
On the day, parents can sign up to Change4Life for additional support and money-off vouchers to help them try healthier snack options, including malt loaf, lower sugar fromage frais, and drinks with no added sugar.
With selected supermarkets signposting parents to healthier snacks and special offers, including fruit and vegetables, Change4Life is making it easy and simple for the whole family to “Look for 100 calorie snacks, 2 a day max.”
For more information, interviews or to attend the roadshows contact PHE West Midlands press office on 0121 232 9223/4 Out Of Hours 07834 311 393
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