Seven percent of day-care nursery children are obese - survey

But this is 2.9% below the national figure.

A number of day-care nurseries in East Sussex have made alterations to their menus and nutritional policies following the findings of a Trading Standards survey.

The nurseries all committed to make changes after East Sussex County Council's Trading Standards team found a lack of information for childcare providers on infant nutrition and a lack of knowledge concerning healthy eating for one to four year olds.

The survey also revealed a lack of regulation on nutrition for infants and young children and a tendency to apply healthy eating policies designed for school age young people to children aged one to four years - who have entirely different requirements.

Trading Standards is responsible for enforcing food standards legislation in the County including a contribution to the "healthy eating" agenda.

Using the services of a specialist paediatric dietician and the Public Analyst, a week's worth of meals from ten nurseries together with their menus were scrutinised and analysed for nutritional content against available guidelines. The nurseries all volunteered to take part and gave their full co-operation during the survey.

The results showed that only:

'¢ two out of ten nurseries excelled in their provision of meals.

'¢ two out of ten nurseries provided the correct portion sizes.

'¢ three out of ten nurseries provided adequate energy.

'¢ two out of ten nurseries provided adequate fat.

'¢ two out of ten nurseries met the guidelines for salt levels.

'¢ three out of ten nurseries were providing oily fish once a week.

The survey also showed that all nurseries failed to meet the requirement for iron and that three out of ten nurseries appeared to be providing menus based on adult healthy eating principles.

All the nurseries which took part in the project committed to make changes and have since done so as a result of the findings.

These changes have ranged from altering snacks and switching to more nutritionally suitable products to completely altering main menu's and the range of foods on offer.

Trading Standards Officers are confident that all the participating nurseries should now know what constitutes good nutrition for the under five age group and are providing nutritionally balanced menus.

Recent statistics published as part of the National Child Measurement Programme reveal that, for East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust (PCT) at reception class age, of the 83% of all children measured, 14.0% were overweight and 8.9% were obese.

For Hastings and Rother PCT the figures were, of the 93% of all children measured, 11.6% were overweight and 7.0% were obese.

The English averages are 13% overweight and 9.9% obese (83% measured).

Councillor Bob Tidy, lead county cabinet member for community services said: "Whilst most of the nurseries involved have embraced the necessary changes, it has been an educational experience and has meant that they have had to change their thinking about what constitutes healthy eating for the under fives.

"Some of the nurseries also have the added difficulty of having to accommodate the demands of parents, who often have very specific viewpoints of what they will and will not allow their children to consume and their own perceptions of healthy eating which may not be appropriate for children of this age group".

As a follow-up to the project, Trading Standards will be sending a copy of this report alongside nutritional guidance to all nurseries across East Sussex inviting them to join in any future project. Any further work with other nurseries will take part once they have received the advice pack and have committed themselves to making any necessary changes.

Copies of the Trading Standards report have also been sent to the Food Standards Agency and OFSTED.