Healthy Eating Campaign Launched

Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has launched an annual campaign to encourage physical activity and healthy eating in young people in Northern Ireland.

Activ8 was first rolled out in primary schools in 2009 to encourage children and young people to do 60 minutes of physical activity every day to keep healthy.

Sport NI has established a range of programmes within the Activ8 initiative, including Eatwell.

"Activ8 Eatwell promotes healthy eating and physical activity in an interesting and fun way. I encourage teachers and pupils to register now and avail of the resources which will make healthy eating and healthy living much easier to adopt," said the Minister.

Launching Activ8 Eatwell for 2013, Minister Ní Chuilín said: "The Activ8 programme continues to grow from strength to strength and so far over 100,000 children have benefited. As we start 2013 it is appropriate that we aim to increase children’s understanding of the relationship between physical activity and healthy eating especially at a time when obesity is one of the major health issues facing our society."

Chair of Sport NI, Brian Henning added: "Last year over 100 primary schools registered for Activ8 Eatwell and made use of the resource manuals for Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. We have worked in partnership with the Food Standards Agency NI to develop Activ8 Eatwell and this reflects the important joined up approach we should have to our bodies. Our physical fitness, our healthy eating and our mental well-being are all connected and it is vital to get that message to young people as early as possible."

Director of the Food Standards Agency, Gerry McCurdy said: "As we start a new year, acutely aware that 61% of us are overweight, it is more important than ever to educate young minds about the importance of healthy eating and to make it their natural preference. Good eating habits are much easier to learn when we are young, rather than trying to change bad eating habits."

(IT)