What we eat is vital for good health and wellbeing. In the past problems associated with malnutrition included rickets, poor growth and development. Today, health problems associated with a poor diet tend to be caused by having too much of the wrong sort of food.
Our western lifestyle, with a diet high in saturated and trans-fats, sugar, salt and an increasing proportion of highly processed and pre-prepared food, coupled with lack of exercise, contributes to a range of health problems including:
- type 2 diabetes
- coronary heart disease
- high blood pressure
- stroke
- certain cancers
- obesity and muscular-skeletal problems such as osteoporosis
Particularly worrying is the increase of these 'adult' diseases among children.
Our Health Development Team works with partners in education, community dietetics, businesses and community groups. This partnership promotes healthy eating, the 'balance of good health' and the '5 a day' messages which provide the latest advice on a healthy diet.
We also support the 'Healthy Schools Award', the 'Heartbeat Award' for caterers, workplaces that look at staff health and community support, for example, providing nutrition courses with the 'Community Cafe' in Penge.
Further information is available from the Food Standards Agency, the Health Development Agency, the Department of Health, the Food Team in Environmental Health, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, and the Food in Schools Toolkit.