MSc Food Policy at City University, London

Our MSc Food Policy gives you an opportunity to develop: a strong and critical grasp of both the theoretical and empirical aspect of food policy, expertise and an in depth knowledge, and good understanding of the breadth of food policy in the United Kingdom within a European and International context.

You will learn how to conduct critical analysis of public policy and how to apply these skills in the workplace and community.

Students come from a wide range of backgrounds: environmental health, trading standards, local government, the civil service, NGOs, food manufacturing, retail or catering, nutrition or dietetics, or may be seeking to return to work or to enhance their personal understanding of food policy.

This programme will prepare you for policy and management roles in a wide area of food policy related sectors.

The MSc is offered as a full time, part time or distance learning (also part time) mode of study.

For further information click on www.city.ac.uk/mscfoodpolicy

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MSc International Public Health Nutrition at the University of Westminster

Are you interested in learning about global food and nutrition issues? Do you want to develop professional skills in public health nutrition? The University of Westminster runs a Masters course addressing the challenges of food security in developing countries and diet related diseases in industrialised countries.

Students will be trained in basic nutritional science, statistics, epidemiology, research methods, methods of nutritional assessment, and nutrition programme design, and will develop the skills needed to work in a variety of settings, therefore enhancing their professional skills and competencies, employability and development as public health professionals.

For more information please see http://www.westminster.ac.uk/sih/page-159 or contact the course leader, Jessica Swann on +44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 3908 or email swannj@westminster.ac.uk

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Public health nutrition: challenges for the 21st century. One day conference.

The first Caroline Walker Trust Eating Well conference. Tuesday 25th November 2008. Kensington Town Hall, London W8 7NX

The conference will:

• provide a platform for a timely reminder of the importance of promoting a wide range of public health nutrition issues and improving nutritional provision among vulnerable groups
  
  
• summarise key public health issues that need to be tackled, and
  
  
• highlight key areas for intervention at local and national level.
  

The conference will focus on nutrition from pregnancy, through early years to old age, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups.

Who should attend?
Policy makers at local and national level. Directors and managers of public health
Health professionals. Academics, researchers, journalists and writers.

More information: www.cwt.org.uk/events

Click here for conference programme and booking form in PDF format.

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Online healthy packed lunch resource for schools

Check out www.healthylunch.org.uk, a website which offers a programme for schools to improve the nutritional quality of children's packed lunches.The highlight of the system allows schools to download healthy packed lunch leaflets straight from the web.

Schools make the leaflets their own, with their name, logo, pictures and name of their healthy eating staff member. They can also choose options to match their own school food policies and choose food types in keeping with their community. They can then print the leaflets out in 16 (and growing) different languages.

The project began as a partnership between Healthy Buzz and Islington  Healthy Schools team. Their specialist dietitian for schools, Marjon Willers says: “its a fantastic opportunity for schools to get involved, and publish their own leaflets that take into account their individual needs and how far they are along the path to a healthier school – it's very empowering for everyone involved. That's why it really works – and its a very useful tool for healthy schools teams as well”

Boroughs across England are signing up to take advantage of the website and its resources. Pete Edwards, technical director of Healthy Buzz says: “Using the interface is a bit like shopping online, but even teachers who have no experience of this find it very easy to use and a very satisfying experience.”

Rather than asking schools to hand out a leaflet and leaving it at that, the website takes a longer term view, with schools monitoring improvements and raising standards as time goes on.

Healthy Buzz Co-director Peter Moore said that working with Islington Healthy Schools Team provided a great opportunity to develop a resource that embodied the latest thinking and advice on healthy eating for kids - “it also  means that the resource is impartial and unbranded. The internet provides the ideal mechanism for schools and professionals at a local level to take control of the process and make sure it's in line with their sometimes very different needs - and means guidance and information can be kept up to date too.”

As one teacher said recently: “Brilliant! as a parent, I wanted this advice fourteen years ago – thank you!”

Healthy Buzz are developing similar projects for physical activity and all aspects of children's well-being.

Perhaps the internet, the pied piper of media and scourge of children's bedrooms, is ready to redeem itself and get them buzzing again.

Website: www.healthylunch.org.uk
Email: info@healthylunch.org.uk

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