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Melanie Pilcher, Policy and Standards Manager at the Alliance, considers the findings of a recent survey from the Infant and Toddler Forum (ITF), which highlights portion sizes as a key public health strategy in the fight against childhood obesity.

According to new research from leading health and nutrition experts, the Infant and Toddler Forum (ITF), the vast majority of parents are unknowingly giving their toddlers too much food, putting them at risk of obesity.

In response to their findings, the ITF, supported by the Pre-school Learning Alliance and others in the early years sector, have recently launched the  campaign. This campaign aims to encourage all families to rethink how much is on the plates of their young children, and calls for guidance on appropriate portion sizes to be a key public health strategy in the fight against childhood obesity.

The supersized issue: why UK parents are overfeeding

• One in ten parents regularly give their pre-school children meals which are close to the size of an adult portion.
• Parents are unaware of the health consequences of feeding too much, too often.
•  is a new campaign which aims to shed light on how much is too much.

A survey of 1000 UK mums and dads revealed that 79% of parents routinely offer portions which are bigger than the recommended size for pre-schoolers, when serving popular meals (e.g. spaghetti bolognaise, chicken nuggets with chips), drinks and treats. The survey, which involved parents looking at images of portion sizes, also discovered that more than 10% of parents usually serve their child close to an adult-size portion of spaghetti bolognaise or cheese sandwiches.

These findings highlight the emotional complexities of feeding toddlers, showing that parents are twice as likely to be concerned that their child does not eat enough (73%), as they are to be concerned that their child eats too much. On top of this, the survey finds that only 25% of parents worry that their child might become overweight in the future. Results indicate that just a quarter of parents are ‘very confident’ about the amount of food to give to their child, with younger parents (aged 18-24 years) being significantly less confident in this aspect than those aged 25 or older.

Results from the survey show a tendency for parents to use food or drink between meals as a pacifier, with 36% of parents using this method to calm children down when they are upset. This is a concern, as experts warn that using food or drink as a reward, to comfort and/or distract, encourages young children to rely on food to deal with emotions, teaching them to continue this behaviour in later life.

Judy More, Paediatric dietitian and member of the ITF, gave the below comment:

‘Practical advice for parents on appropriate portion sizes for toddlers has been lacking, so it’s not surprising that our survey revealed a significant lack of understanding about how much to feed toddlers. With new evidence linking larger portion sizes to excess weight gain, it is clear parents need practical advice NOW.  The Infant & Toddler Forum, have developed a user-friendly guide to the recommended portion size ranges for children aged 1-4 to help parents take the guesswork out of how much is enough.’

 

To find more advice on portion sizes for preschool children, please visit: