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Lords Committee discusses nutrition of infants, children and young people and school meals
Tuesday 5 March 2024
The House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee will hold two evidence sessions on Thursday 7 March which will hear evidence on pre-natal, post-natal and early years nutrition, and the food environment in which children and young people live, including the quality and availability of school food.
The first session will start at 10.15am and both sessions will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 4, Palace of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be:
10.15am
- Dr Vicky Sibson, Director, First Steps Nutrition Trust;
- Kristin Bash, Chair, Food Special Interest Group, Faculty of Public Health, University of Sheffield; and
- Professor Lucilla Poston CBE, Professor of Maternal & Foetal Health, King’s College London.
11.30am
- Bee Wilson, Co-founder, Taste Education, (TastEd);
- Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive, Chefs in Schools;
- Georgie Branch, Programme Lead, Healthy Zones Team, School Food Matters; and
- Anita Brown, National Chair, Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA).
Questions will include:
- How prevalent is obesity among infants, children and adolescents? What is the influence of pre- and post-natal nutrition on the risk of subsequent obesity?
- How prevalent are unhealthy diets among infants, children and adolescents? What are the reasons for this, and what role does the food environment play?
- What are the specific influences on the diets of children and adolescents that contribute to the risk of becoming obese?
- What role does food in schools play in supporting healthier diets for children and young people? What are the main barriers to the availability, uptake and quality of food in schools?
- What is the influence of the food industry on children and young people’s diets? What role should the food industry play in ensuring healthy diets and tackling childhood obesity?
- What are likely to be the most effective strategies for improving child and adolescent nutrition and reducing associated health inequalities in the future? What evidence supports your proposals?
