App uses the “Good Choice” badge to help show people the way to healthier food (Representative)
London:
Britain’s health service on Monday launched the NHS Food Scanner App offering healthier alternatives as part of the government’s multimedia Better Health Against Obesity Campaign.
The feature, available on a free-to-download app, allows families to scan product barcodes to suggest healthier alternatives to make it easier for them to swap in their next shopping trip.
The app uses the “Good Choice” badge to help people point the way to healthier food and drinks that align with government dietary recommendations for added sugar, saturated fat and salt fig.
Dr Linia Patel, a nutritionist of Indian origin who tested the new National Health Service (NHS) app said: “We know that it is really hard for parents to find snacks. healthier for your kids, especially if they’re picky eaters.
“The NHS Food Scanner app is a fun way to get kids involved in choosing healthier foods they love – so get going and scan, swipe, swap,” she said. speak.
The aim of the free-to-download smartphone app is for supported families to improve their children’s diets, as new statistics show the number of parents giving their children unhealthy snacks has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It follows a record rise in childhood obesity since the start of the pandemic, with NHS analysis showing one in four young schoolchildren in England is now overweight or obese.
The UK’s Public Health Secretary Maggie Throup said: “We know that families have felt a lot of pressure throughout the pandemic, which has dramatically altered habits and routines.” .
“The New Year is a good time to make resolutions, not only for ourselves but also for our families. Finding ways to improve their health is one of the best solutions any of us can make. By downloading the free NHS Food Scanner App, families can swap out food from the store weekly for healthier alternatives and avoid those high in salt, sugar and fat saturated,” she said.
Dr Alison Tedstone, Head of Nutrition at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), said: “We are all aware of the increased pressures families are under throughout the pandemic with More children are stuck at home.”
“Given the advertising promoting unhealthy foods for children, it is not surprising that parents say they often find it difficult to resist their child’s harassment of unhealthy snacks and that That’s why the NHS Food Scanner App is a great tool to help families make healthy swaps quick and easy.
“It is important for children to reduce their intake of sugary, fatty and salty foods to help them stay healthy and reduce their risk of health problems like diabetes and tooth decay,” says Tedstone.
The app is part of DHSC’s broader anti-obesity strategy for the Better Health Campaign, which involves regulating the promotion of less healthy foods to children supported by the funding around 100 million GBP.
A survey by UK-based parenting center Netmums found that nearly 58% of parents give their children more sugary or fatty snacks than they did before the pandemic, and nearly two-thirds (64%) Parents say they are often worried about whether their children’s snacking is healthy. actually.
Nearly 90% of parents said they would benefit from an app that helps them make healthier choices for their child.
“Two-thirds of parents finding that they give their kids more snacks than they did before the pandemic doesn’t surprise me in the least – we’ve all felt comfortable eating our way through the pandemic and I know my child has eaten more junk food than usual. ,” said Annie O’Leary, editorial director of Netmums.
“Snacks shopping can be an absolute minefield for busy parents, so thank you again for coming to the rescue, NHS,” she said. PTI AK VM VM
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
