A gathering of over 100 health experts and parents held today to discuss the barriers and issues to healthy eating overwhelmingly concluded that parents play the single most important role in helping their children lead a healthy lifestyle BUT they desperately need help and advice.
The meeting organised by Sainsbury’s and which was attended by Caroline Flint, public health minister, was set up to contribute to the Government’s Small Change, Big Difference campaign.
Top of the list of conclusions reached was the need for everyone involved in the healthy lifestyle debate to work together to provide consistent and improved education on how this can be achieved by parents. Many initiatives are already in operation but better communication and delivery through local community activities will provide the most practical steps to assist parents.
In particular parents attending the session talked about the difficulty they faced in being able to select healthy products for their families when there is such a variety of product information presented in stores. And there is a perception that healthy eating is expensive which is often not borne out in practice and parents need help and guidance on this.
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said: “Today’s event has been excellent raising a number of issues but also showing there are simple, practical steps we could take to help parents make healthy choices for themselves and their children.
“It’s about all of us, government, the NHS, retailers and manufacturers working better together nationally and in local communities to give people the advice, information and support that will help them improve their health. And it’s about people using their power as consumers to demand that support.
Justin King, CEO of Sainsbury’s, said: “This event showed how much can be achieved when everyone gets together to contribute to a common issue. Today’s meeting exceeded expectations of what we thought could be achieved in just a few hours. Parents need us to work together on their behalf. However I am a great believer in the power of the consumer. Nothing changes corporations more than when customers tell them.
Justin King urged all consumers to remember the importance of the role they played. “If consumers change their behaviour we listen and respond very quickly. Sainsbury’s has done more than most to promote healthy living but it is still not enough. We would not have organised today’s meeting if we were not looking at doing more. I am committed to keeping the discussion going and on behalf of Sainsbury’s will not let the issue whither on the bow.
Justin called once again for the industry to adopt a consistent front of pack labeling system and offered to share Sainsbury’s data from running its traffic light scheme with anyone interested in adopting this system. “We have already shared it with Asda” he said “and we will share it with Waitrose to help facilitate the consistency that is so clearly called for by parents and other consumers. Everyone at today’s meeting seemed to agree that what they needed and wanted was information they could read quickly and clearly. Research has shown time and again that multiple traffic lights deliver this more effectively than any other system.”
