UK - Hundreds of thousands of parents will receive vouchers for free fruit and vegetables as part of a new drive to encourage lifelong healthy eating habits and tackle obesity.
The move, announced by UK Health Secretary John Reid today, is aimed at improving nutritional balance among young children in poorer families.
Last week a report by doctors classed 9 per cent of children aged between two and four years old as obese.
The changes come under reforms to the Welfare Food Scheme which supports some of the poorest pregnant women and families.
Currently, parents eligible for the scheme only receive tokens for liquid milk and infant formula milk. The tokens will be replaced with weekly vouchers that can be used to buy fresh produce as well as milk.
Qualification for the scheme is based on factors such as low income or receipt of tax credits. The vouchers will be worth at least 2.80 per week to families with children aged over one year old. Families with children aged between 0 and one year old will receive vouchers worth at least 5.60 per week.
All pregnant women under the age of 18 will also be eligible for the scheme, regardless of family income.
It's estimated that in total up to 800,000 people will benefit from the scheme.
John Reid said:
"The Government is committed to tackling the rise in obesity.
"Although I believe it's not the Government's role to lecture people how to live their lives, it is our responsibility to provide the means for them and their families to follow a healthier lifestyle.
"The best way of tackling obesity is through encouraging a healthy diet at an early age. These changes mean that pregnant women, nursing mothers and younger children already benefiting from the scheme will in future have a greater choice of healthy eating options, so reducing the chances of obesity."
Vouchers will be exchangeable in a wide range of participating retail outlets, which could include milkmen, greengrocers, retail pharmacies, community food initiatives as well as supermarkets and other general grocery outlets.
The changes will be phased in from the end of the year.
Reforms to the Welfare Food Scheme also mean that children in nursery will be offered a choice of milk or fruit, instead of just milk as currently happens.
Notes to editor
1. The Welfare Food Scheme was originally created in 1940 as a wartime measure, to protect the health of young children during times of rationing.
2. A review of the current Scheme was carried out in 1999 by the Panel on Child and Maternal Nutrition of the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA). The review demonstrated that the scheme could be improved within current resources and so the NHS Plan 2000 contained a commitment to achieve reform on this basis.
3. Healthy Start: Reform of the Welfare Food Scheme contained 14 specific proposals for reform and was published for consultation in October 2002. A summary of the responses to the consultation exercise was published in March 2003 as Healthy Start: The Results of the Consultation Exercise.
4. The Department will issue draft regulations relating to reform for public consultation later this year (probably in April). It is likely that the draft regulations will establish Healthy Start in one or more areas, allowing the effectiveness of processes such as voucher exchange/reimbursement to be assessed and refined before the scheme is rolled out across England.
5. Healthy Start: Government response to the consultation is also being placed on the website.
6. A report by the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Paediatrics and Child Health and the Faculty of Public Health last week highlighted increasing levels of obesity in children.
7. Public inquiries to 0207 210 4850.
The move, announced by UK Health Secretary John Reid today, is aimed at improving nutritional balance among young children in poorer families.
Last week a report by doctors classed 9 per cent of children aged between two and four years old as obese.
The changes come under reforms to the Welfare Food Scheme which supports some of the poorest pregnant women and families.
Currently, parents eligible for the scheme only receive tokens for liquid milk and infant formula milk. The tokens will be replaced with weekly vouchers that can be used to buy fresh produce as well as milk.
Qualification for the scheme is based on factors such as low income or receipt of tax credits. The vouchers will be worth at least 2.80 per week to families with children aged over one year old. Families with children aged between 0 and one year old will receive vouchers worth at least 5.60 per week.
All pregnant women under the age of 18 will also be eligible for the scheme, regardless of family income.
It's estimated that in total up to 800,000 people will benefit from the scheme.
John Reid said:
"The Government is committed to tackling the rise in obesity.
"Although I believe it's not the Government's role to lecture people how to live their lives, it is our responsibility to provide the means for them and their families to follow a healthier lifestyle.
"The best way of tackling obesity is through encouraging a healthy diet at an early age. These changes mean that pregnant women, nursing mothers and younger children already benefiting from the scheme will in future have a greater choice of healthy eating options, so reducing the chances of obesity."
Vouchers will be exchangeable in a wide range of participating retail outlets, which could include milkmen, greengrocers, retail pharmacies, community food initiatives as well as supermarkets and other general grocery outlets.
The changes will be phased in from the end of the year.
Reforms to the Welfare Food Scheme also mean that children in nursery will be offered a choice of milk or fruit, instead of just milk as currently happens.
Notes to editor
1. The Welfare Food Scheme was originally created in 1940 as a wartime measure, to protect the health of young children during times of rationing.
2. A review of the current Scheme was carried out in 1999 by the Panel on Child and Maternal Nutrition of the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA). The review demonstrated that the scheme could be improved within current resources and so the NHS Plan 2000 contained a commitment to achieve reform on this basis.
3. Healthy Start: Reform of the Welfare Food Scheme contained 14 specific proposals for reform and was published for consultation in October 2002. A summary of the responses to the consultation exercise was published in March 2003 as Healthy Start: The Results of the Consultation Exercise.
4. The Department will issue draft regulations relating to reform for public consultation later this year (probably in April). It is likely that the draft regulations will establish Healthy Start in one or more areas, allowing the effectiveness of processes such as voucher exchange/reimbursement to be assessed and refined before the scheme is rolled out across England.
5. Healthy Start: Government response to the consultation is also being placed on the website.
6. A report by the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Paediatrics and Child Health and the Faculty of Public Health last week highlighted increasing levels of obesity in children.
7. Public inquiries to 0207 210 4850.
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