As an industry, we spend millions innovating products, launching campaigns and fighting for shelf space, but we’re not moving fast enough where it really counts: children’s health.
In November 2024, NHS England reported 36% of year 6 children (aged 11) were overweight or obese. Obesity levels at this age are now more than double those seen in reception, and children in our most deprived communities are four times more likely to experience severe obesity.
Children come in all shapes and sizes and that should be celebrated. But when a lack of access or education leads to consistently poor food choices, we have a collective responsibility to do better.
Food in schools
As a former primary school teacher, I’ve seen first-hand the impact that health and a healthier start to the day has on a child’s learning as well as their ability to form friendships, their confidence levels and their behaviour. Food isn’t just fuel: food is care, food is love, food is health and opportunity. Food helps to shape our children’s whole world.
We are facing a crisis in children’s health – 4.3 million children in the UK (30%) live in poverty – and too many go to school hungry simply because healthier choices are unaffordable or inaccessible. Our more vulnerable children are disproportionately affected by poor nutrition. The result? A widening gap in health, development and social mobility.
Schools do an incredible job of supporting our communities. From breakfast clubs to after-school food provision, they go above and beyond every day to ensure children are fed, nurtured and inspired to be the best they can be. But schools can’t do it alone. We need to continue to connect the dots between children, schools, families and groceries. As an industry, we must step up and take responsibility not only for what we put on our shelves but for how we empower families to make informed choices.
Diet education
It starts with education. Let’s teach our children about what’s in their food, where it comes from and the impact it has on our bodies. When children understand how food affects their energy, learning and behaviour, we can help plant the seeds of healthy habits and lifelong learning.
When families are given the tools to make nutritious meals with confidence, we can help create a ripple effect across generations. Schools, like our grocery stores, sit in the heart of our communities. They are our hubs, our safe spaces, our places to be inspired and to learn.
It’s not just about swapping sugar for fruit. It’s about helping all our families make informed and empowered choices. We have a responsibility to educate, inspire and provide healthier choices for families. Together we can work to help make a positive impact.
This means better transparency, clearer labelling, accessible pricing, and healthier products being promoted and prioritised. The food industry has a vital role to play. It’s not enough to create better options – we must ensure they’re readily available and accessible to the people who need them most.
This is about taking steps forward to make progress. We’re not here to take away treats or tell families how to eat. We’re here to educate, inspire and create a food environment where the healthier choice is the easy, delicious and affordable one.
The role of retailers and brands
Retailers play a crucial role in this, from offering meaningful price promotions on healthier products to donating surplus or seasonal stock to school breakfast clubs.
The opportunities are real, and they could be monumental. Could your team make regular food donations? Could you provide in-store educational events, school visits or partner with local schools to deliver assemblies or workshops on food and nutrition? Could brands work directly with schools to co-create products that meet both taste and nutritional goals? Could we work together and share the wider community impact?
It’s time to stop talking about change and start building the partnerships that help make it happen, because no single sector can do this alone.
Every child deserves the chance to thrive. Let’s help reshape our food system. Education is key.
Rachel Kettlewell, founder of Fearne & Rosie
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