The importance of good nutrition and physical activity
The habits that children form in the first years of their life are often the foundation for their lifestyle choices well into adulthood. Therefore, healthy eating and active play in childhood can guide a lifetime of good eating and physical activity habits.
The 'Guidelines Project'
The ‘Healthy eating and physical activity guidelines for early childhood settings' project, or the ‘Guidelines Project', is part of the Commonwealth Government's plan for tackling obesity from early childhood.
The Project will develop evidence-based guidelines and materials to support healthy eating and physical activity in children attending Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services such as child care, pre-school, family day care, etc. The Guidelines will be linked to the new National Quality Framework for ECEC services that is expected to be introduced from 1 July 2009.
Be involved
This project spans a number of areas, including health, children's services, education and families for the birth–five age group. We welcome stakeholder and interested party input from all these groups throughout the project.
You can be involved in the following ways:
Questionnaire: To complete a questionnaire about your experiences, influences and issues regarding incorporating good nutrition and physical activity in your setting, please click here to download. This questionnaire will take about 20 minutes to complete, and then please email your responses back to us.
Key meeting or event: We welcome the opportunity to be able to attend your meetings or events – perhaps we could arrange a focus group at this meeting, or interview attendees. Opportunities for this are from now until mid-February (to input into the development of materials) or April–May (to be involved with field testing of materials).
Experts in nutrition or physical activity: Are you an expert in this field and would like to provide input into the materials (by email, phone, etc)?
Field testing: Field testing will take place in April and May 2009. If you would like to be involved in field testing, please let us know.
For further information: email bianca.gazzola@rch.org.au
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