Teenagers walking past fast food signage

Children's health and food

Telling a new story about children’s health and food

27 February 2024

4 min read

We have created a free image library to help build a better, more constructive understanding of children’s health and to show how what surrounds us shapes us.

Too often the images used in news stories about childhood obesity unfairly blame, shame and stigmatise children and their families and ignore the environmental factors that impact their health.

Stories like these make change feel impossible and are preventing the progress needed to protect children from the very real risk of developing food-related ill health in their futures.

These new images help show the variety of factors that shape children’s health; the affordability and accessibility of nutritious food on their local high street, the food served in schools, whether they have somewhere safe to play and the powerful marketing tactics that put unhealthy food centre stage.

We invite those talking about children’s health and food to use these images in their work to build a productive understanding of this issue and help inspire action to make healthy food affordable and accessible for every child.

“It is too common for images portraying children’s health to be stigmatising and unhelpful. These new images are a great resource to use in our communications to show how hard it is for children to grow up healthy in the UK.”

– Nicki Whiteman, Director of Communications and Youth, Biteback

Small child looking at produce on supermarket shelves

Environmental factors impact children's health - such as the powerful marketing tactics that target children and put unhealthy food centre stage.

Teens inspect supermarket shelves full of colourful drinks

We need changes that incentivise a healthier food industry, making the easiest and most affordable options the healthiest. Regulation that ensures the foods most readily available on our supermarket shelves are as healthy as can be.

How we communicate about children’s health and food matters.

We know through extensive research with FrameWorks UK that how we communicate about children’s health matters because it can fundamentally change people’s understanding of the issue and build understanding and support for solutions to help all children thrive.

Our aim is to help build momentum for long overdue changes to how our food is produced, marketed, and sold, to help transform the health of children and families. Changes that incentivise a healthier food industry, making the easiest and most affordable options the healthiest. Regulation that ensures the foods most readily available on shelves across the country are as healthy as can be. Policies that mean all children can access the nutritious and affordable food they need to thrive, regardless of where they live.

Working together to change the narrative

We are seeing this story starting to filter through, but we need to keep going. We hope to create a chorus of voices – all using the same underpinning ideas to frame their communications.

We are committed to working with partners in the UK trying to improve children’s health and food – from campaigners, influencers, communications professionals to senior leaders, journalists and others.

In partnership with FrameWorks UK, we can provide materials, workshops, coaching and practical communications support to help you bring this story to life.

If you are communicating about children’s health and food, join us by contacting childrensfood@urbanhealth.org.uk.

Help us to change the story, for children, for good.

Child sits outside at a play table, happily eating carrot sticks

Framing the way we talk about - and visualise - children's health and food can help to change the narrative.

Teens chatting and snacking in an outside playground area

These small changes to the way we communicate can help to bring about long-term solutions to children's health, showing that change is possible and within our reach.

Visit the image library

Browse images

Contact us

If you'd like to know more about our Children's Health and Food programme, get in touch

childrensfood@urbanhealth.org.uk

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