"Let’s Talk Sugar” - Early Childhood Resource
Background
Prior to the Primary Care Partnership (PCP) transition to NEPHU, the Inner East PCP co-designed the ‘Let’s Talk Sugar’ resources with Eastern Metro Melbourne Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nurses.
Three Inner East Councils participated in the six week pilot rollout in 2021 to test the brochure with parents/caregivers which proceeded with positive feedback to expand the resource into an A1 poster. These resources are displayed and distributed to families visiting MCH offices and waiting rooms to reinforce the key messages and branding.
Healthy Eating in Early Childhood
Early childhood is an ideal period to shape healthy food preferences and dietary habits to prevent development of chronic disease during childhood and across the lifespan. Children should have the fundamental right to thrive in school and beyond, and the energy to play and learn because of the healthy eating experiences they have had in early life.
Values-Based Messaging
A public health communications framework known as values-based messaging (VBM), was used to guide the content for this resource. VBM aims to engage people around values that resonate, as opposed to trying to persuade with just facts and or data, in order to motivate behaviour change. This includes a focus on the ‘system’ that is contributing to poor health.
The Food for Health Alliance’s ‘kids are sweet enough’ advocacy campaign aims to protect the wellbeing of our youngest consumers by lobbying for government to set higher standards in the composition, labelling and promotion of baby and toddler foods. NEPHU supports this campaign and encourages other organisations to also sign up.
The ‘Let’s Talk Sugar’ resources also targets the food system by raising awareness of sugars and promotional tactics that are added or not easily recognised, in the production of baby and toddler foods.
Using the Resource
These resources have been designed with and for MCH Services and is freely downloadable. It is intended that the resources will be used in other early years settings in the future.
We expect these resources to evolve over time with new evidence and healthy solutions to support parents/caregivers make informed choices when faced with selecting packaged foods for baby/toddlers. Ultimately, we would like to see a change in legislation in baby and toddler foods so healthy choices are easy to make. We always encourage as first choice to select fresh unprocessed foods and tap water.
If you would like high resolution print-ready versions of the resources below, please email healthywell.nephu@austin.org.au
Resource: "Let’s Talk Sugar” Poster
Resource: "Let’s Talk Sugar” Booklet
Obesity Policy Coalition: ‘Kids are sweet enough’ campaign
