Change4Life
Three steps to keep you and the children fit, happy and healthy in Southwark
Some of the best things you can do to keep your family healthy are to feed them healthy food and to get plenty of exercise as a family.
As well as children needing good nutrition to grow, it's important for the whole family to be a healthy weight for a long and happy life. Below are some tips on getting started, what Change4Life can do for you and information on helpful programmes in Southwark.
1. Join Change4Life
Step one is to join Change4Life. It only takes a few minutes and you'll receive tips, games and recipes to help your family be fit and healthy.
For more information, contact 0300 123 4567.
2. Try to eat a healthy balanced diet as a family
You can find information and tips with Change4Life and NHS choices.
Nutritionist advice for children aged under five years
Our children centres' nutrition teams hold drop-in sessions in different locations around the borough. Sessions include cook and taste, healthy eating, weaning group, little chefs and more!
For more information, contact 020 3049 8846 or 020 3049 5776.
The Mini Cooking Club
This cooking club takes place every Wednesday at Copleston Centre.
For more information, contact cecilia.belier@theminicookingclub.org.uk.
Shop Cook and Eat
Families with at least one child under five can sign up to the short course which covers:
- healthy eating and nutrition on a budget
- planning recipes and visiting a supermarket
- understanding food labelling and portion sizes
- cooking quick and nutritious meals and snacks for the family
For more information, contact 020 7358 6698.
Reading food labels
With so much packaged food available, it's difficult to know which foods are healthy and which are unhealthy. Food labels can be misleading and difficult to understand.
Products which are high in fat (especially saturated fat), sugars and salt should be eaten in moderation.
Healthy tip - look at the 'per 100g' column on the label:
Total fat
High: more than 20g of fat per 100g
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g
Saturated fat
High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g
Sugars
High: more than 15g of total sugars per 100g
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g
Salt
High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)
3. Get active and help your children get active
Use the Change4Life-o-meter to find out where you can start making some simple changes.
Southwark has lots of opportunities for children and families to be active, including parks, playgrounds, leisure centres and clubs. Get Active London provides information on clubs, venues and activities in London.
Our family information service provides information on local activities including adventure playgrounds and fun for families.
For more information, contact 0800 013 0639 or email family.info@southwark.gov.uk/familyinfo.
Worried about your child's weight
If you're worried about your child's weight, talk to your GP, practice nurse or school nurse.
Alive N Kicking
Alive ‘N’ Kicking is a weight management programme that helps children and young people aged anywhere between five and 19 years of age reach and maintain a healthier weight. The service comprises of three age-specific programmes for infants and juniors (age 5-11), seniors (age 12-15) and young persons (age 16+), each of which delivers age-appropriate activities, messages and behavioural change strategies that will help benefit the whole family.
For more information, visit the Alive N Kicking website.
Page last updated: 15 September 2021
