We are all aware of the global epidemic of childhood obesity, diabetes and tooth decay, which we urgently need to address. Sadly Jersey is not immune to these issues.
Working together with the Government of Jersey’s Education and Public Health departments, and aligning to the Island’s Strategic Plan, our work aims to give children in Jersey the healthiest start in life, and will contribute to turning the tide on what could quickly become a crisis situation for the Island and it’s future generations.
Over the past 30 years, the way we shop, cook and eat has changed, and so the food we consume today is fundamentally different. A lack of culinary skill, combined with longer working hours and more demanding lives, has led to the consumption of more convenience and fast foods, which are high in fat, salt and sugar, and can damage our health if consumed on a regular basis.
Diet plays a crucial role in the healthy development and prevention of illness in children, and the food they eat is not only essential for physical development, it fuels their learning ability and can affect how well they concentrate at school. In 2009, the Government of Jersey business plan set a goal of reducing obesity rates from 30% to below 10% by 2017, yet according to a report issued by the States of Jersey in February 2017, 20% of children in Reception are overweight and this figure rises to 33% of children in Year 6.
In Jersey, we have the highest proportion of working mothers in the Western world (80% compared to 64% in the UK), a high cost of living, poor accommodation and despite the relaxed environment of Island life, a large number of people who are working long and stressful hours, often for minimum wage.
It is therefore little surprise to find unsettling statistics like these in the 2017 Opinion and Lifestyle Survey:
10% of households have gone without fresh fruit or vegetables in the last 12 months.
8% of households go without a cooked main meal each day.
69% of people had eaten less than five portions of fruit and vegetables in the last 24 hours.
15% of adults don’t know what to cook to make a healthy meal.
The good news is that we can change this. Government have committed to making Jersey a place where children can live healthy lives, enjoying the best mental and physical health and wellbeing possible. The Food and Nutrition Strategy and the Children’s Plan puts children’s health as a top priority, and a strategic aim of reducing diet related disease in Jersey has been set. However, Government cannot do this alone, which is why the work of Caring Cooks is so important.
