Essex schools sign up to healthy eating initiative

Thousands of children in primary schools, special schools and pupil referral units across Basildon, Brentwood and Thurrock education area will become part of the PhunkyFoods healthy eating and physical activity initiative in aid of tackling overweight and obese issues. Nearly one in three children starting secondary school is either overweight or obese, figures have revealed. The scheme has been introduced by participating schools as a way of meeting the government's requirements that they must be working towards 'Healthy School' status by next year, with an aim of 75% of schools attaining healthy school status by 2009. Staff are given additional training and support by PhunkyFoods nutritionists to provide two one-hour sessions each week which includes dietary advice and physical exercise. More than 300 UK primary schools are already benefiting from the programme, which was developed by nutrition expert Purely Nutrition and Northern Foods in 2005. Melody Williams, head of health improvement for children and young people at South West Essex PCT, commented on the initiative: "It's a great way of getting schools and individual teachers working together to help address the growing issue of childhood obesity." Dr Jennie Cockroft, director of nutrition at PhunkyFoods, continued: "As vital as healthy eating is, there is very little time in the school curriculum for teachers to address the issues surrounding nutrition. PhunkyFoods has been designed with teachers so it can be easily rolled out in schools and by making it easier for schools to tackle this extremely challenging problem."