The British Nutrition Foundation welcomes the Children's Wellbeing Bill
The British Nutrition Foundation welcomes the inclusion of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill in the Kings Speech, delivered in Parliament earlier today. The Bill includes measures that aim to put children’s wellbeing at the forefront of the education system and to remove barriers to opportunity. A range of education and care policies are covered in the bill including a requirement for free breakfast provision in all primary schools in England.
Children’s health is in crisis: more than one in five children are overweight or obese by age five and one in four children have tooth decay1, and these health outcomes are strongly linked to deprivation.
Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the Foundation said: “We urgently need action to improve children’s health and ensure that every child can thrive. We welcome this commitment to improving children’s wellbeing and we hope this is the beginning of a journey to tackling health inequalities and providing opportunities for all children.”
The British Nutrition Foundation is on a mission to improve children’s health and wellbeing by making sure they get the best food education possible. The Foundation have today launched National Schools Breakfast Week (9-13 September), to raise awareness of the importance of healthy breakfasts for children and young people. This follows the publication of a report and recommendations for better breakfast provision in schools.
The report found that skipping breakfast is widespread in school-aged children and is higher in teenagers, especially girls, and children from low-income households. Regularly missing out on breakfast can make it harder for children to get enough of the nutrients they need to be healthy and to learn. Free school breakfast provision could help reduce hunger and may help to address educational inequalities for the most vulnerable young people.
1Analysis: Child health is in crisis in the UK – here’s what needs to change
For more information about the British Nutrition Foundation’s education programme see https://www.nutrition.org.uk/education/#
For information about National School Breakfast Week https://www.nutrition.org.uk/national-schools-breakfast-week/
About the British Nutrition Foundation
Connecting people, food and science for better nutrition and healthier lives
The British Nutrition Foundation is a registered charity that provides impartial, evidence-based information about food and nutrition. We translate nutrition science in engaging and actionable ways, working extensively with people in academia, health care, education, communications and the food system, for public benefit.
We safeguard our independence through robust governance, with an independent Board supported by an Advisory Committee and a Scientific Committee, both of which draw upon a board range of experts from academia, government, industry, and public life. Our governance is weighted towards the scientific community, universities, and research institutes, and those from education, finance, media, communications, and HR backgrounds.
Funding for the British Nutrition Foundation is from membership subscriptions; donations; project grants from food producers and manufacturers, retailers and food service companies; conferences; publications, training, trusts, and foundations. The British Nutrition Foundation is not a lobbying organisation, nor does it endorse any products or engage in food advertising campaigns.
More details about the British Nutrition Foundation’s work, funding and governance can be found here.
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Article by British Nutrition Foundation