Liverpool John Moores University

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Liverpool John Moores University Centre for
Consumer Education Research School of the
Outdoors, Leisure and Food
Assessing Food Intake as the Basis for
Action. Dr Allan Hackett Reader in Community
Nutrition
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Food crunch time for nations children - TES
Childrens diet healthier in 1950 than
today - Guardian
Free fruit for pupils in 77M obesity war -
Daily Mail
With 300,000 children now suffering from obesity
shouldnt schools be doing something to help? -
Guardian
School help create anorexics - TES
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The Food Standard Agencys Secret Weapon?
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Is there really a problem?
NDNS Survey, 2000
Age (y) 4 - 6 7 - 10 11 - 14 15 18 Boys
(n) 184 256 237 179 Girls (n) 171 226 238
210
Energy intake (MJ) Boys 6.4 7.5 8.3 9.6 Gir
ls 5.9 6.7 7.0 6.8 Protein
() 12.8 12.6 12.9 13.6 Fat () 35.7 35.6 35
.7 35.2 CHO () 51.5 51.4 51.4 49.5 Alcohol
() Tr Tr Tr 1.7
From Gregory Lowe, 2000.
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NDNS Survey, 2000
Age (y) 4 - 6 7 - 10 11 - 14 15 - 18
Fat () 35.7 35.6 35.7 35.2 SFA
() 15.0 14.4 13.9 13.9 Source fats () Milk
products 20 16 14 13 Meat products
16 19 20 22 Cooked potatoes 7
8 10 10 Savoury snacks 9 8 8
6 Chocolate 6 7 7 6 Spreads
10 10 9 10
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NDNS Survey, 2000
Age (y) 4 - 6 7 - 10 11 - 14 15 - 18
CHO () 51.5 51.4 51.4 49.5 Sugars
(g) 97 108 112 118 NMES () 68 72
74 74 Source sugars () Milk
etc 20 17 15 12 Table sugar 4 4 5 8 Sweets
choc 12 15 15 13 Soft drinks 14 16 19 23 F
ruit Juice 5 5 5 5
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NDNS Survey, 2000
Age (y) 4 - 6 7 - 10 11 - 14 15 - 18
NSP (g) 8.6 10.1 10.9 12.0 Vit C (mg)
72 78 76 84 Calcium (mg) Boys
706 741 799 878 RNI 450
550 1000 1000 Girls 657 656 641
653 RNI 450 550 800 800 Iron
(mg) Boys 8.3 9.8 10.8 12.6 RNI
6.1 8.7 11.3 11.3 Girls 7.4 8.5
9.1 8.9 RNI 6.1 8.7 14.8 14.8
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Is the situation improving?
Comparison Children 1980, 1990 2000
Boys Girls 1980 1990 2000 1980 1990 2000
Energy (MJ) 8.90 8.61 8.45 8.27 8.25 7.60 Fat
() 39.5 39.0 34.6 40.2 39.9 35.4 CHO
() 48.8 49.0 52.5 48.7 48.8 52.4 NMES
() 14.7 16.6 16.4 15.5 17.7 16.0 NSP
(g) n/a 9.4 11.1 n/a 9.0 10.2
Some improvement but - evidence fatigue -
industry fight back
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Can anything be done?
SportsLinx is a city wide project run by
Education,Libraries Sports Services, Liverpool
City Council.

• It was set up to Identify children with a
  talent for sport
• Develop that talent
• Promote health of all children
• physical - activity / fitness - good diet
• social mental

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Aims To promote health in children
- primarily by encouraging physical activity

• Objectives
• Assessment of fitness, diet and nutritional
  status
• Run coaching programmes - involve local clubs
• Run After School Clubs - activity
• - nutrition

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Dietary data is needed to

• describe current situation identify problems
• monitor trends
• evaluate programmes

But ... Measuring dietary intake is
difficult. But Is an estimate of amount
consumed necessary? Is an estimate of nutrient
intake needed?
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Did you, at any time yesterday, eat any amount
of.
Positive markers eg low fat milk, brown
bread Negative markers eg sweets,
chips Markers of change eg low fat
sausages Aggregates eg fatty foods, sugary
foods Meal intake eg Breakfast, On way to
school, Lunch
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2000 - 2004 Subjects
All primary schools in Liverpool invited -
about 77 of 122 schools take part each year. All
Year 5 (9 - 10 year-olds) children
invited. Completed Food Intake Questionnaires
2001 2002 2003 2004 Boys 1989 1622 1459
1816 Girls 1901 1385 1420 1843 Total 3,890
3,007 2,879 3,659
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Percentage of children who claimed to have eaten
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Percentage of children who claimed to have eaten
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Fruit Vegetable Consumption
Fruit Vege Neither Either Both tables
17 48 35
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What is being done?
Fruit Taster Sessions for all primary
schools After schools Nutrition clubs 6 week
programme Loosely based on social learning
theory
Does it work?
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Results of systematic review of interventions

• Only limited approaches have been employed.
• Knowledge gains can be expected, but are not
  always followed by behaviour change.
• It is possible to change dietary intake.
• Longer, more frequent, multi-faceted
  interventions give most benefit.
• Parental involvement has a very positive
  effect.
• The most successful interventions involved
  changing the environment.

After Lister-Sharp et al (1999) Butriss (2002)
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Conclusions.

• Community scale action is possible forpromoting
  physical activity and healthier food choices

• Dietary advice can be given and
• monitored in terms of intake of Foods

• Linking dietary advice to sport physical
  activity
• may be an effective way to change habits of
  children

• After school clubs are popular with children,
  parents
• and teachers and have the potential to achieve
  change

Thanks to Liz Lamb for originating and running
SportsLinx