Continue reading Deprivation has a negative impact on the health of people with Type 1 diabetes
A major charity initiative between Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Tesco has discovered that snacking habits in Scotland are risking families’ long term health.
A survey commissioned by the National Charity Partnership, a partnership between the three organisations, found that nearly half of all adults in Scotland (45 percent) worry about the extra calories their families consume through unhealthy snacks, yet almost three in ten (29 percent) never actively choose nibbles that are low in fat and sugar. In fact, despite nearly half of those surveyed worrying about snacking habits, more than one-third of Scottish parents are still regularly offering crisps (37 percent) and 45 percent say they offer biscuits as snacks for their children either alongside or in between meals.
Katherine Hale, Prevention Programme Manager for the National Charity Partnership, said: “Eating foods high in fat and sugar on a regular basis can contribute to increased calorie consumption – which can then increase the likelihood of being overweight. It’s particularly concerning that crisps and biscuits are still popular snacks for children because the food habits we learn at a young age can become ingrained and stay with us into adulthood.
“By developing unhealthy habits, you may be risking your family’s health. Regularly consuming ‘empty calories’ from snacks that contain lots of calories but little to no nutrients heightens your risk of obesity and the long-term conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease associated with this.“
As the summer holidays come to an end and a new school year begins, the National Charity Partnership is launching its Snack Goals Challenge to help UK families start the new term right by making some healthy snack swaps to curb those junk food cravings and improve their long-term health.
The partnership is encouraging people to set a goal to ‘eat healthy snacks’ using its online Eight Week Challenge. To support the challenge, the partnership has developed a series of articles to provide affordable and tasty recipe inspiration at https://lets-dothis.org.uk/tips/topics/snack-well/. Ideas include swapping crisps and biscuits for air-popped popcorn with cinnamon or spicy chilli.
Ms. Hale said: “Snacks are usually small and can seem insignificant. However the reality is that the calories they provide can really add up, especially for children. By making a change now and taking our Snack Goals Challenge, to swap to healthier snacks it will help you stay on track and kick those bad snacking habits. For even more motivation, take the challenge with the whole family or friends for that extra element of competition.”
The most common reason why people in Scotland shun snacks low in fat, sugar or salt is that it costs too much money (24 percent). Almost one in five people in Scotland (18 percent) said that healthier snacks lack variety and 16 percent of those surveyed claimed their family prefers the taste of snacks like crisps and chocolate. The survey also found that adults in Scotland have a sweet tooth when it comes to snacking choices, with mid-afternoon the most popular time to snack. Four of the top five regularly consumed snacks for adults are sweet and include biscuits (37 percent) and chocolate bars (28 percent).
The National Charity Partnership between Diabetes UK, the BHF and Tesco is working to help millions of people look after their bodies and reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease by moving more and eating healthily.
To get involved set your goal at www.lets-dothis.org.uk/challenge and upload your healthy snack ideas on social media using the #snackgoalschallenge.
An Edinburgh student who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for almost a decade is organising a Ceilidh with a Twist to raise money for Diabetes UK. Continue reading Edinburgh student organises ceilidh with a twist
This year’s Hummingbird Ball in aid of Diabetes UK marks 15 years of successful fundraising in the Scottish capital at the event on Saturday 7 November.
Organised by a group of local Diabetes UK volunteers, the Ball has raised over £300,000 for research projects since the inaugural event in 2001. Diabetes UK is the leading charitable funder of diabetes research which increases understanding of the causes of diabetes, brings about life-changing breakthroughs in care, treatment, prevention and, one day, a cure.
Craig Cameron, one of the event organisers, said: “When we arranged the first Hummingbird Ball in 2001 we thought it would be a one off event. No one could have imagined in those early days that we would reach 15 years and raise in excess of £300,000. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported this incredible achievement.”
The 15th Hummingbird Ball takes place at Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh on the evening of Saturday 7 November 2015. A five star black tie event hosted by master of ceremonies, Grant Stott, guests are invited to enjoy a lavish dinner with fabulous entertainment, charity auctions and raffles.
Auction items up for grabs include an evening at the ATP Tennis Finals as well as a weekend hire of a Harley Davidson motorbike. The organising committee is keen to hear from any individuals or companies who wish to donate auction or raffle prizes.
Craig added: “The Hummingbird Ball is a fantastic night that’s enjoyed by all. We have already sold many tickets but there are still some available if people would like to join us. Diabetes is a major health issue which affects over 276,000 people across Scotland including over 37,700 in Lothian. Diabetes UK is leading the way in cutting edge research, including some ground-breaking projects across Scotland, which will have a positive impact on the lives of people affected by the condition.”
Jane-Claire Judson, National Director of Diabetes Scotland, said: “The success of the Hummingbird Ball over the past 15 years is truly amazing given that the event is organised entirely by volunteers. Over £300,000 raised through the event is testament to the volunteers’ commitment to funding Diabetes UK research in Scotland. It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re truly grateful.”
Tickets for the event, priced at £90 each, are not cheap but for those who can afford to support a very worthy cause tickets can be purchased by contacting Diabetes Scotland office on 0141 245 6380 or email scotlandfundraising@diabetes.org.uk. Prizes can also be donated in this way.
Tesco staff and customers have raised £11.85 million in one year for Cancer Research UK, its charity of the year. The money was raised by staff, customers and suppliers at more than 3,000 stories, offices and distribution centres across the UK, and according to Tesco this is the largest amount ever raised by a business and charity partnership in one year.
In-store fundraising activities by Tesco included a donation of 0.0125p from Tesco Personal Finance PLC every time a cash machine was used at Tesco until 29 February 2013, and promotions that encouraged Clubcard customers to donate their points to the charity.
The store that raised the most money was Tesco Extra in Dundee, which raised £22,000.
The funds raised are being used for 32 early diagnosis and detection research projects helping to ensure more people receive treatment at a time when it is more likely to be successful.
During the partnership Tesco also helped Cancer Research UK raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer. Eight million health information leaflets were placed at store checkouts.
Richard Taylor, Cancer Research UK Executive Director of Fundraising and Marketing, said: “Tesco staff, customers and suppliers have gone above and beyond to raise a record-breaking amount of money for our lifesaving work over the past year. The dedication they have put into raising vital funds to help improve the early diagnosis and detection of cancer particularly during a time of economic uncertainty has been truly inspiring.”
Since 1988 Tesco has chosen a different charity every year to benefit from staff and customer fundraising. The company’s Charity Trust tops up staff fundrasing by 20% up to a maximum of £500,000.
Last month Tesco announced that Diabetes UK will be it’s next charity of the year.
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West Granton Road woman Dianne Vanderster is taking part in a sponsored walk on behalf of Diabetes UK on 17 June and she’s looking for NEN readers to sponsor her.
Dianne, who is 73, has had diabetes for ‘eight or nine’ years and believes that the charity’s ‘Walk for Diabetes’ events are worth supporting, so she’s decided to take part in the Edinburgh and Lothians event which starts from Linlithgow Palace on 17 June.
Although Dianne and husband Jack have lived in West Granton Road for many years, many of her friends and neighbours have moved on and it’s not quite so easy for Dianne to get round the doors to look for sponsors – so she’s asked the NEN to help.
No sooner said than done – if you’d like to support Dianne in her sponsored walk to raise funds for Diabetes UK, contact Scottish organiser Susan Williamson on 0141 245 6380 or email Scotland@diabetes.org.uk
Good luck with the walk, Dianne!
