by Jess Gibson
Poor nutrition in babies and toddlers is fuelling a future public health crisis, according to a new parliamentary cross-party group report.
The report, A Fit and Healthy Childhood: Early Years Nutrition – Setting the Standards for Change, was developed by the Cross-Party Group on A Fit and Healthy Childhood to “champion improved nutrition standards for young children”, drawing insight from over 350 settings nationwide.
Statistics in the report show that:
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obesity levels in pre-school children are rising, particularly among children from the most deprived areas of the UK, where numbers are more than double that of those living in the least deprived areas.
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the proportion of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in children’s diets rises between 18 months and 3.5 years, while consumption of healthy, nutrient-rich foods declines.
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around 60,000 school days are lost every year due to children undergoing dental extractions.
The report calls on the government to act now to make change, including:
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A national nutrition strategy that provides guidance during preconception, pregnancy and postnatal periods via professional training.
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Improved access to training and resources for early years staff to help implement the new EYFS nutrition guidance.
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Mandatory nutritional composition, marketing and labelling standards for commercial baby and toddler food and drink products.
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The extension of free school meals to children in early years settings.
For more detail, the full report can be found here.
Jonathan Player, managing director of Nursery Kitchen, which sponsored the report, said: “The government has made welcome commitments on school food, but for a better, more resilient generation, we must start earlier. Without a strong, nutritional foundation in the early years, later interventions won’t be enough. We’re proud to support a report that makes this case so powerfully.”
“We’re all striving for better food in early years, but ambition alone isn’t enough. This report gives us the tools and the pressure to push for significant investment, practical solutions, and policy that works. This could be a turning point for children’s life-long health and wellbeing – if government chooses to take it.”
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:“We know that access to healthy, nutritious meals and snacks is vital for young children’s development and yet, as this report shows, it has become increasingly commonplace for children to show up to early years settings hungry.
“Given the recent widening of free school meals criteria and the rollout of free breakfast clubs – alongside the continued rollout of universal free school meals for children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 – it’s clear that the government recognises the importance of ensuring children have access to healthy meals as part of education provision. Why, then, should it be any different for children in the early years?
“If the government is serious about giving all children the best start in life, it needs to ensure that no child is being asked to learn while hungry – and that must include those children at the most important years of their development.
“We therefore continue to urge the government to provide additional early years funding specifically to cover the cost of meals and snacks in settings – at the very least, to those children who would be eligible for free school meals.
“Such a step would go a long way to protecting children’s future health and wellbeing.”