A Picture of Health
In focus this month:
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If you could give your child a gift
to last a lifetime, what would it
be? How about good health? Now
that’s a present that money can’t buy.
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of
the best ways your child can stay
well for life. It can help prevent
illnesses like cancer, diabetes
and heart disease in
adulthood, and can literally add
years to their life. But parenting
isn’t easy. One in ten children in
reception year are already
overweight, so we know there are
families who need a helping hand.
Click to see what help is available for
parents.
In Public Health we look at the way people in Tameside live as a whole population. This helps us understand what the
main health and wellbeing challenges are for people living here, so we can look for ways to improve levels of health. We’ll
be sharing facts and figures about health in Tameside with you every month, to put you in the picture. We’ll also be giving
you information on how you can help yourself and the people around you to live well.
Healthy Weight in Childhood
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check your
child’s BMI
CLICK HERE
FOR MORE INFO
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The average adult consumes
around 750g too much salt
each year, and it’s a habit that
starts in childhood.
Eating too much salt increases
blood pressure and can lead to
heart attacks and stroke. Avoid
your child developing a taste for
it and you’ll protect them from
illness in later life. Crisps, bread,
cheese, and cured meats like
bacon and ham can all be high
in salt, so take notice of what you
put in their lunchbox, and be sure
to read the labels. For guidelines
on maximum salt limits for
children visit Action on Salt by
clicking below.
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FOR MORE INFO
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For those who are able to breastfeed, a mother’s milk is
the gift that keeps on giving. A study of 10,000 infants found
that the chances of them being overweight by the time they
reached school age was significantly smaller for those who
had been breastfed, compared to those who hadn’t. Children
who had been breastfed for 5 months or more enjoyed the
greatest benefits, with a 35% reduction in being overweight.
There are many studies that
agree that breastfeeding helps
reduce obesity in childhood,
and provides a legacy of health
for life. For excellent advice on
breastfeeding from the Baby
Friendly Initiative click below.
CLICK HERE
Where do you start if your child needs to lose weight? Get
busy with the fizzy. One of the quickest ways to reduce intake
of excess calories is to give up loving pop. Carbonated drinks
are turbo charged with sugar, and provide no nutritional
benefit. Just one can a day can add one stone of weight in a
year! Diet options are available
for the big names but remember
that the acid in diet versions can
still wreak havoc with children’s
young teeth, so keep as a treat,
and go for water or milk as the
day to day option. Visit the GULP
website for more advice on pop.
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Sugar is a culprit that affects children’s weight, but it’s not
just the pounds it adds, it’s also about what it takes away.
Around a third of children in Tameside lose a tooth to decay
before age 5, and in some communities that goes up to 4
teeth. Much of this is attributable to sugary drinks. A mouth
full of decay is painful, and makes eating difficult, so for some
children, staying a healthy weight is hard as they struggle
to bite into crunchy fruit and veg, or chew the foods that are
good for them. With Change4Life’s sugar swap app, you can
scan barcodes and see exactly how much sugar is lurking in
your kid’s food, and make wise choices to cut back.
FOR MORE INFO
CLICK HERE
FOR MORE INFO
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It’s recommended that children get 5 portions of fruit and
veg a day, yet only 10% of boys and 7.5% of girls aged 11-18
do. The price of fresh fruit and veg can be a barrier to giving
kids what they need, but tinned and frozen varieties are just
as good, last longer and are usually a fraction of the cost. Go
for tinned options in water, and avoid those soaked in salt
or syrup. Aim to add in 2 more portions a day (80g each) to
help your kids get their quota. If your children push their peas
around their plate and feed their broccoli to the dog, try this
simple recipe for a smooth pasta sauce to stop them picking
out the bits!
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
FOR MORE INFO
CLICK HERE
When it comes to children and food, the apple doesn’t fall
far from the tree. We learn the majority of our eating habits
from our parents. Whilst it’s tempting to think some families
simply carry a ‘big gene’ the difficult to hear truth is this…..If
Dad dodges his salad and Mum stocks up on chocs, chances
are the kids will too. This is why generations of one family can
get caught in the obesity trap. If you are an unhealthy weight
and can see your child’s waistline expanding with yours, be
the one in your family to break the cycle. Call 0161 716 2000
to make an appointment with a Be Well Tameside Advisor for
free advice.
FOR MORE INFO
CLICK HERE
Remember that rewards don’t have to be edible.
When treats are given for behaving well, children learn to
associate good feelings with junk food, and will naturally start
to prefer these over healthier foods that don’t have that feel
good factor attached. Instead of a chocolate bar, think about
the different ways you can show your pride in their behaviour.
Wall charts showing their achievements last longer than it
takes to scoff a finger of fudge, and a sheet full of gold stars
feels much better than an empty wrapper. This factsheet was
produced in America for children with food allergies, but it
has some great suggestions for low cost or no cost non-food
rewards for children. And for the teachers amongst you, there
are plenty of suggestions for classroom rewards too. Have a
look for inspiration.
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CLICK HERE
FOR MORE INFO
Being overweight can have a serious impact on children’s
self-esteem, and can cause depression and social
isolation. Research tells us that children who are overweight
are also more likely to be bullied in school. Whilst weight loss
will improve their health, it should
be a positive influence that spurs
them on to achieve it, not the
cruel words of others.
Helping build your child’s
confidence irrespective of their
size and shape will help them
stand up for themselves, and
give them the boost they need to
change their eating habits. If your
child is being bullied, for being
overweight, or any other reason,
CLICK HERE
click here for help and advice.
FOR MORE INFO
CLICK HERE
How do you know if your child’s a healthy weight? More
than a third of parents assess their child’s weight by looking at
them and comparing them with other children their age. This
isn’t an accurate way to do it, and it can mean a child’s weight
problem goes unnoticed. If you have only ever ‘guestimated’
your child’s weight, have a look at this BMI calculator to know
for sure whether they need to gain, lose or maintain. Why not
check your own while you’re at it?
FOR MORE INFO
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A child born today will have spent a whole year looking at
a screen by the time they’re 7. That’s a year of sitting still in
front of a TV, computer, or playing on a tablet or smartphone.
Sitting still has an effect on the body,
making it more difficult to maintain a
healthy weight, but it also has an effect
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more hours spent gaming or watching TV
the stronger the negative effects become.
Limiting screen time may cause tantrums
in the here and now, but in the long run
you’re helping them have a happier
CLICK HERE
childhood. For 10,000 ideas of activities
FOR MORE INFO
you can do without a screen click here.
For more information email [email protected]
Find us on
10%
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FOR RECIPE
7.5%
They say that laughter is the best medicine, but actually, it’s
physical activity. In fact, if physical activity was a pill, it would
be the most effective one in the prevention of ill health. And
yet, 70% of children don’t get the recommended amount of
physical activity in their weekly routine. Inactive children go on
to be inactive adults. Inactive adults tend to get sick younger,
and some will lose years of life to diseases that could have
been avoided if they just moved more. If you’re not sure how
much activity is the right amount for your child, click here for
the guidelines.
70%
of children don’t get
the recommended
amount of physical
activity in their
weekly routine.
Public Health Tameside
CLICK HERE
FOR VIDEO