Change4Life comes to Rochdale to help families ‘Be Food Smart’

Families in the borough of Rochdale are invited to ‘Be Food Smart’ when Public Health England’s (PHE) Change4Life roadshow comes to town.

On Friday 3 February and Saturday 4 February help will be on hand at the Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre for parents who want to take more control of their children’s diets.

Recent reports show that childhood obesity in England has reached alarming rates. Currently 22.7% of 4 to 5-year-olds and more than a third of 10 to 11-year-olds are overweight or obese in the borough of Rochdale.

At the roadshow, supported by Rochdale Borough Council, families will see live demonstrations of the new Be Food Smart app that highlights just how much sugar, saturated fat and salt can be found in everyday food and drink that their children consume. They will also receive free Be Food Smart information packs, making it easier to make the healthier choice at home.

Information about local support services for families, healthy recipe ideas and other nutritional advice will also be provided by the council’s public health team.

Councillor Janet Emsley, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, health and wellbeing, said “Reducing childhood obesity is a priority for the council and we are pleased to support Change4Life which helps prevent our children from developing serious conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. I urge everyone to come along and find out how your family can lead healthier and happier lives.”

The free Be Food Smart app helps and encourages families to choose healthier options and works by scanning the barcode of products allowing parents to compare brands, and features food detective activities for children and mini missions the whole family can enjoy.

The campaign also helps parents identify the health harms caused by children eating and drinking too much sugar, saturated fat and salt, including becoming overweight or obese and developing tooth decay.