Food4Thought

Akai and back dancersOur Food4Thought campaign aims to help tackle childhood obesity and encourage children to lead a healthier lifestyle. Multi-talented street dancer and performer, Akai, now 13, has been helping us get our message across through his high energy song and dance performances.

Akai has performed at two schools for our campaign this year and has spoken to pupils about how he needs to stay fit and healthy in order to keep up his energetic performances. He helped  Queen Elizabeth's High School in Gainsborough finish the summer term with a bang by performing some of his new songs along with his backing dancers as a reward for pupils who won our competition to make healthy snacking more appetising.

The school was one of 30 that took part in our pilot project in which children helped to stock and sell healthy snacks in a vending machine. As part of the project, schools also competed in an oline game, called Snackville, in which they had to look after the health of pupils in a virtual school and build a business empire based on healthy vending machines.  

Here's how Akai kicked off the campaign, and watch this space for our new film of his latest performance - it's coming soon!

Akai crashes the canteen

Junk food marketing

Junk food marketing successFood manufacturers are advertising junk food products directly to children while they play online. By exploiting loopholes in current regulations they're able to market unhealthy products directly to children.

There is a ban in place on advertising unhealthy products during children's television programmes. We're demanding consistent advertising regulations across all forms of media to protect children and their future health. Help us convince the government that tighter regulation is needed for online marketing by using our template to email Maria Miller the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.

Email Maria Miller

 

 

Healthy eating

Our survey has found kids are turning their backs on fruit and veg in favour of snacks laden with fat, salt and sugar. With a third of children in the England aged 11-15 now overweight or obese, healthy eating should be a very important part of every child's day.

Physical Activity

Kids need at least 60 minutes of exercise each day to help them grow and develop. The problem is up to 30 per cent of boys and 40 per cent of girls aren't hitting that target.

Get online

Our websites for children and young people aim to help the next generation learn all they need to about what they can do to keep their heart in tip top condition.