The latest Change4Life campaign, backed up a by a free app which scans product barcodes and compares ingredients, aims to educate families about the significant amount of sugar children are consuming even before they get to school.

The new push from Public Health England (PHE), the government department behind Change4Life, launched today. Its main message is that children consume half the daily recommended sugar intake before the morning school bell rings.

The campaign urges parents to Be Food Smart and take more control of their children’s diets. The new Be Food Smart app highlights just how much sugar, saturated fat and salt can be found in everyday food and drink that their children consume.

The free app works by scanning the barcode of products allowing parents to compare brands and also features food detective activities for children and mini missions the whole family can enjoy.

The app is an integral part of a campaign that also includes TV, digital and outdoor, plus the distribution of 4.6 million free Be Food Smart packs to primary school aged children and families at local events across England.

PHE says that on average children in England consume more than 11g of sugar at breakfast time alone, almost three sugar cubes. The recommended daily maximum is no more than five cubes of sugar for 4 to 6 year olds and no more than six cubes for 7 to 10 year olds per day. By the end of the day, UK children have on average consumed more than three times these recommendations.

A survey conducted for PHE’s Change4Life campaign found that parents are unsure what makes up a healthy breakfast for their children. Most parents (84%) whose children consume three or more sugar cubes in their breakfast think their child’s breakfast is healthy.

PHE says some of the main sources of sugar at breakfast time include sugary cereals, drinks and spreads. Away from the breakfast table, children are also consuming too much sugar, saturated fat and salt in items such as confectionery, biscuits, muffins, pastries and soft drinks.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist, Public Health England, says: “Children have far too much sugar, and a lot of it is before their first lesson of the day. It’s crucial for children to have a healthy breakfast, but we know the mornings in a busy household can be fraught. That’s why we’ve developed our Be Food Smart App, taking some of the pressure off parents and helping them to choose healthier food and drink options for their children.”

Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health.

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British sporting champions Tom Daley and Becky Adlington have joined forces with Disney, Change4Life and the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and are encouraging children to ‘just keep moving’ this summer, as they launch nationwide interactive family swim sessions and a brand new 10 Minute Shake Up campaign – all inspired by the new Disney·Pixar blockbuster, Finding Dory.

The campaign sees the launch of themed family swim sessions at hundreds of pools across the UK as well as new 10 Minute Shake Up activities, in a bid to make exercise fun and help children get the 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity they need each day.

The Finding Dory inspired swim sessions, which are co-created with the ASA and run from 22^nd July until 4^th September, will provide an hour of in-water storytelling for the whole family, teaching children key swimming skills as they are taken on a journey with Dory and friends, led by trained instructors.

The Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Ups with Disney are back for a third summer to encourage children to get the 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity they need each day with fun 10 minute bursts of activity.

For 2016, there are even more interactive Shake Ups than last year, including those inspired by Finding Dory, which set a box office record for an animated film when it opened in the United States in June.

British diving champion Tom Daley and double Olympic Gold medal-winning swimmer and mum Becky Adlington are supporting the initiative. Tom is starring in a series of short films, which show that even serious athletes can take time for 10 minutes of fun, whilst Becky is sharing her top tips for inspiring children to get active in and out of the pool.

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, Disney, Change4Life and the ASA commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 children aged 5 to 11 and their parents on their attitudes towards physical activity.

The survey revealed that three quarters of children aged 5 to 11 (73%) want to do more physical activity, and 56% of children miss taking part in school PE lessons over the summer. Finding ways for their children to be active is a challenge faced by families, with 61% of parents saying they struggle for ideas during the school holidays.

The research showed that more than half of children (55%) said that swimming is one of their favourite ways to keep physically active during the summer holidays. 39% of 5 to 11 year olds also said that they would want to go swimming more often if they could go with family members.

Physical activity helps children build social skills, boost self-confidence, improve bone and heart health and maintain a healthy weight, yet just 21% of boys and 16% of girls currently meet the national recommended level of activity of 60 minutes each day.

Tom Daley says: “Most people look at professional athletes and see the years of training and dedication they have put in, but do sometimes forget that what we do is also really fun and exciting. I’m a massive Disney fan myself and can’t think of a better way to get kids enjoying being active than combining their favourite stories and characters with exercise – whether that’s a Finding Dory swim session where families can learn key ASA skills or a Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Up game kids can play with their friends in the park. For me, showing that sport is not a chore and really has a fun side is an important message and I’m thrilled to be supporting this campaign”.

More information on Disney and Finding Dory inspired 10 Minute Shake Ups is available at Change4Life online. Swim sessions can be booked at www.disney.co.uk/justkeepmoving.

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