A new sugar-tracking app is being backed by officials to help tackle obesity across Nottinghamshire.
Healthy eating scheme Change 4 Life has introduced the new smartphone programme which allows users to turn their devices into portable sugar detectors.
Nottinghamshire county council is backing it to help parents decide what the best options are for their children and change diets and weight, as too much sugary food is often connected to weight problems.
Around 17 per cent of year six children (aged 10 to 11) in Nottinghamshire are classed as obese, and around 31 per cent are considered overweight to some degree, including obesity, although these figures have actually decreased in recent years.
And about 21 per cent of year six children in Nottingham city are obese, down from about 22.5 per cent in 2009.
Councillor Joyce Bosnjak, Chair of the County Council Public Health Committee, said: “If you go into a supermarket and you’ve got the app on your phone, it will tell you how much sugar is in the product in a much clearer way.
“I think it has to be a collaboration between parents, schools, local authorities and supermarkets who need to address this issue.”
Picture: One third of ten to eleven year olds in the UK are either overweight or obese.
And nationally, more than 20 per cent of four to five-year-olds and more than 30 per cent of ten to eleven year-olds are either overweight or obese.
First generation in history that will die at a younger age than their parents
Martin Garwith, Interim Chair of Healthwatch Nottingham, said: “If we are not careful, the generation born today will be the first generation in history that will die at a younger age than their parents”
Radford Primary Academy in Lenton hosts a breakfast club which encourages children to develop healthy eating habits.
Andreas Houston, a learning mentor at the school, said: “We try and encourage our children. If they do it in school, then perhaps they’ll persuade parents at home, and say ‘this is what I want to eat’.”
The ‘Sugar Smart App‘ can be downloaded from smartphone app stores free of charge, and
