LGA proposes 1,000 day healthy eating plan for children

The Local Government Association (LGA) has put forward a 1,000 day plan for toddlers to help instil healthy eating from an early age.

The plan follows the publication of research by the University College London (UCL) which showed what happened during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and the impact it had on how healthy they were as an adult.

The study found that many children under the age of five are exceeding their intake of calories and salt and missing out on essential vitamins. It warned that this habit could ‘set taste preference for the future’ and put them at greater risk of obesity and high blood pressure in later life.

In response to the research, Councillor Izzi Seccombe, the LGA’s community wellbeing spokeswoman, said: “Councils want to work with government in its forthcoming childhood obesity strategy on developing a 1,000 days plan which places emphasis on encouraging healthy eating habits from an early age.

“Intervention at a young age is vital if we are to avoid the risk of children having major health problems later on in life, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes.”