Nutrition and weight management

Find support and advice around healthy eating and weight management.

Nutrition and weight management of children

Overweight and obesity are common among school-age children, which may have an impact on their health as children and adults. A well-balanced diet is essential for children in their early years and starts with establishing good eating patterns necessary to ensure they grow and develop appropriately.

In an environment where it is more challenging to make healthier decisions, it can be harder to maintain a healthy weight. For children and young people, you can check their weight by working out their body mass index (BMI) using the NHS BMI calculator.

Information and advice and useful self-help resources

Some helpful sources of information, advice and self-help are:

You can also learn more about Suffolk County Council’s ‘Eat Well, Feel Well’ campaign.

Getting local help with nutrition and weight management

Your Health and Children's Centre team can offer you advice around healthy eating habits and how to boost your child's relationship with food as well as helping to deal with the challenges that may arise.

The Healthy Living Service offers 10-week Family Programmes in the community as well as ‘After School Programmes’. Instead of promoting weight loss, they adopt a strategy where there are no unrealistic expectations and instead emphasise the value of healthy living.

Nutrition and weight management