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Healthy Eaters Meet Leeds Rhinos Stars

rugby pic 1

Healthy eaters meet Leeds Rhinos

Kids in Morley were rewarded with a visit from Leeds Rhinos stars after swapping junk food for healthy snacks.

Data published last year by Public Health England shows that a fifth of Leeds children in their final year at primary school are obese, so Leeds City Council’s Public Health team have teamed up with schools and Leeds Rhinos to encourage the city’s children to improve their eating habits.

Following this year’s Smart Swapathon challenge, children at Morley Newlands Primary were the winners of the Smart Swaps Leeds Rugby Assembly and were delighted when Rhinos stars Ash Handley and Robbie Ward turned up to pay them a visit.

Janet Munro, healthy schools co-ordinator Morley Newlands primary school said:“Mums and dads want a healthy diet for their children and we’ve been delighted to help encourage the children to take up the challenge.”

Children meeting Ash Handley

Children meeting Ash Handley

The consumption of food or drink with high sugar content can lead to heart disease, cancer or type 2 diabetes. As a percentage of energy intake, children’s sugar consumption is 50% higher than the current Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommendation.

Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Chair of the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “It is great that alongside thousands of other individuals and families around the city, they are heading in the right direction to live longer, healthier lives by ditching unhealthy snacks and swapping to alternatives which are just as tasty, but also better for them.”

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