Wales
Community Dietitians in Wales
Community Dietitians in Wales meet bi-annually in Mid Wales.
There is usually a representative present from WAG or The Food Standards Agency Wales to allow for effective communication between all parties.
Dietitians from CDIW have an active representation on All Wales Steering and Task Groups such as Action on Food and Fitness for Children and Young People from WAG.
Food and Well Being:
Reducing Inequalities through a Nutrition Strategy for Wales.
This was produced in 2003 and was led by the Food Standards Agency working closely with the WAG.
The strategy outlines the actions required by key players to improve the diet of people in Wales. The key players include policy and decision makers, health, nutrition and catering professionals, educators, food production and retail industries.
The strategy aims to improve the diet of all people in Wales, but certain groups were prioritised due to their poor diet and health. The main priority groups were low income and other vulnerable consumers, infants, children and young people.
Nine recommendations have been prioritised.
One and two relate to required dietary changes, while three relates to initiatives to prevent and manage overweight and obesity among the population. These are followed by five recommendations to bring about these changes. The final recommendation relates to evaluation of the activities to enable the assessment of the impact of the strategy.
Food Standards Agency Wales
The "AFAL" Awards for Food Action Locally.
In December 2003 the Food standards Agency (FSA) Wales launched an award scheme to recognise and highlight the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of those engaged in promoting better diet at the local level. Local community action tackling diet and nutrition is fundamentally important to the overall success of the nutrition strategy for Wales, "Food and Well Being". The 2004 and 2005 and 2006 Awards have provided excellent opportunities to highlight the good practice demonstrated by the winners and runners up. They have been a real motivator for others wanting to undertake similar activities. The Award scheme has also allowed FSA Wales to build up a fuller picture of the community food projects in existence across Wales. These will be added to previously nominated projects as part of a searchable database of community food projects on the "Nutrition Network for Wales" website, www.nutritionnetworkwales.org.uk.
A Nutrition Network for Wales.
The Nutrition Network for Wales website has been purpose designed to provide everyone involved with nutrition in Wales the opportunity to access information and resources, to share the outcome of their work and to learn from each other.
The website www.nutritionnetworkwales.org.uk contains:
- Latest news and events.
- Community Food Initiatives.
- Policy and Strategy.
- Healthy Eating Resources.
- Data, research and surveys.
- Documents.
- Opportunities to network.
Action on Food and Fitness for Children and Young People (WAG)
The food and fitness action plan proposes an ambitious program of work aimed at securing and protecting the well being of Wales’s children.
It is a five-year action plan dealing with food and fitness for 0-25 year olds. The document contains actions for schools, the community, on training and evaluation and dissemination. The recommendations include extending The Welsh Network of Healthy School schemes, and providing an environment that will encourage children and young people to take part in physical activity and prepare healthier foods.
The current consultation document can be obtained from the WAG website: www.healtheschool.org.uk.
Appetite for Life
A "Food in Schools" working group led by the Education Department of the WAG have produced a consultation document due to be launched in June 2006 in Cardiff. It will report on the food provided to children over the whole school day. The proposals will be subject to wide consultation. This document will be the Welsh equivalent of "Hungry for Success" from Scotland and "Turning the Tables" from England.
Health Challenge Wales
This is the national focus of our efforts to improve health and well-being. It recognises that a wide range of factors- economic, social and environmental have an impact on health, so that action in all these areas can help create a healthier nation.
The key themes are:
· Smoking.
· Food and fitness.
· Accidents and injuries.
· Alcohol and other substance mis-use.
· Infections.
· Mental health and well-being.
Health Challenge Wales is a call to everyone, people and organisations to do as much as they can to improve health.
It is a challenge to:
- You as an individual to do what you can to improve your own health and that of your family.
- Government, national and local to help create the conditions needed to help you and your family lead a healthy life.
- Organisations to do as much as they can to help their employees and the people who use their services to improve their health.
Creating better health in Wales is not something the Welsh Assembly Government or the NHS can do on their own. It is a job for everyone.
