1 in 3 children leaving primary school are already overweight or living with obesity. Children in the most deprived parts of the country are more than twice as likely to be obese as their peers living in the richest areas. As the Department of Health and Social Care recently highlighted, this is sowing the seeds of adult diseases and health inequalities in early childhood.
Working in early years offers an amazing opportunity to support children in developing healthy eating habits for life.
Here at Tops Day Nurseries, fighting the childhood obesity crisis is a top priority, which is why we launched our no added sugar menus. Diane Wycherley, Senior Area Manager, re-designed our menus to ensure the food we feed the children in our care is nutritious and balanced to give them the energy they need to learn, play and develop, while keeping the food interesting and tasty. Diane has since won an award for the menus, being named one of the Tops 5 Most Inspirational People in Childcare.
Exercise is also important when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. Exercise is encouraged at all times at Tops Day Nurseries, and Tops Forest School is an incredibly popular extra-curricular activity that we run across our nurseries. Not only does the activity keep the children active but also allows them to explore the world around them and build their confidence. our nurseries also complete the daily mile, which aims to encourage children to complete exercise daily.
