Improving children’s health

Almost £600,000 funding to help prevent childhood obesity

Children up to the age of five and their families are being given the tools to develop healthy habits through six projects aimed at preventing childhood obesity and reducing health inequalities.

Almost £600,000 is going to programmes such as JumpStart Tots – run by NHS Ayrshire & Arran – which has already seen a number of young children and families in the area benefit from this healthy weight programme.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure all children have the best start in life and the projects support the ambition to halve childhood obesity in Scotland by 2030.

This builds on the range of actions being taken as a result of the 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan to ensure everyone eats well and has a healthy weight.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “On World Obesity Day we reiterate the importance of improving health and reducing health inequalities across Scotland.

“We want Scotland to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up and we know good nutrition and physical activity is crucial for children’s health and development.

“These projects are crucial to our bold ambition to halve childhood obesity in Scotland by 2030. They tackle inequalities working with families and communities to encourage healthy eating and offering support for those experiencing food insecurity.

“We will continue to support local partners to develop these ambitious and effective plans to help prevent and reduce childhood obesity, alongside policies such as our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan and Best Start Foods payment, which are central to our commitment to ensure everyone in Scotland has access to healthy, nutritious food.”

Consultant Dietitian in Public Health Nutrition for NHS Ayrshire& Arran, Dr Ruth Campbell said: “The continued early years funding from Scottish Government has enabled NHS Ayrshire & Arran to extend the Jumpstart Tots programme to more families across Ayrshire.

“Jumpstart Tots is an interactive healthy lifestyle programme which offers families with children aged between two and five, a minimum of eight one hour sessions that are planned to suit each individual family’s needs.

“Local parents feedback has been that the Jumpstart Tots programme has helped them make changes that their whole family has been able to benefit from as a result of finding out more about the food they eat.”

Projects receiving funding are:

NHS Ayrshire & Arran: JumpStart Tots – £53,769

NHS Lanarkshire: ‘Little n Lively’ programme in partnership with Healthy Valleys – £150,000

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: ‘Thrive Under Five’ programme – £305,448

NHS Grampian: Training and support for a group of multi-agency professionals across Aberdeenshire to deliver the HENRY approach – £17,028

NHS Lothian and NHS Fife:  Continued delivery of HENRY core training to early years workforce  – £57,000 (£48,500 for Lothian, £8,500 for Fife)

NHS Lothian: Improving and increasing weaning support £10,000

The Scottish Government published the Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan in July 2018.