Campaigns target elderly eating habits; Network calls for better understanding of food labels.

Byline: ANNE-MARIE SENIOR

NUTRITION is the focus of two new health campaigns being launched in Kirklees.

Healthy eating advice is being dished out to older people and those with mental health issues in a bid to boost well-being.

The Kirklees Older Peoples' Network is calling for pensioners to understand food labels.

The group - which iss a voice for the elderly - is urging people to eat well and maintain a healthy weight to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressures or cancer.

A KOP spokesman said: "It is important to eat a good range from the different food groups so that you have enough nutrients to live life to the full and not eat too little or too much that you become under or overweight.

"Get the right balance for you." Eating plenty of different coloured fruit and vegetables and reducing fat, salt and sugar intake were among the tips given.

People were also advised to choose low-fat foods and opt for wholegrain where possible.

The importance of nutrition was also highlighted by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The mental health and learning disability organisation, has highlighted the importance of nutrition to good mental health by updating its food and nutrition policy.

A special event was held to launch the new policy and inform staff how to improve the nutrition of the people they provide care for.

People who use services provided by the trust were also invited to find out how the new policy affected them.

The updated policy comes in response to an audit of the trust's original food and nutrition policy.

This found that more emphasis was needed on identifying the individual nutritional needs of people using the trust's services and making sure those needs are met.

The review also found the original policy needed modernising to bring it in line with new Government guidelines relating to food and nutrition.

Advanced dietitian Helen Morgan added: "It is essential that people with mental health problems and learning disabilities eat well, and by meeting the specific nutritional needs of people who use our services it is possible to speed up the recovery process and significantly improve physical health.

"The updated food and nutrition policy will help all our staff to do this and make a real difference to the overall well-being of people in their care."

Neema Golez McTomney, nutrition and dietetic service manager, said: "The event was a great success and gave staff the chance to not only pick up a copy of the updated policy for their inpatient areas, but also find out how to implement it into their daily practice.

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HAPPY AND HEALTHY: The elderly are being urged to study food labels to ensure they follow a sensible diet and cut the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer