An unhealthy diet can mean eating too much of some types of food like fat, salt and sugar whilst also missing out on beneficial foods like fibre or key nutrients.

People who eat seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day have a 33% reduced risk of death compared with people who eat less than one portion. In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly one in three children are overweight or obese when they leave primary school, and 25% of men and 26% of women are obese. This is predicted to rise to 60% of men and 50% of women by 2050.

Significant opportunities for change are being addressed in Cornwall through our reputation for local produce, community growing, increasing food knowledge and cooking skills. Local services ensure the quality of food, constantly raising standards of food served in key settings like schools or social care. Using food to bring people together around a common purpose like allotments or vegetable box schemes all help to promote a positive food culture.

Healthy eating - find out why this issue is important for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and what is being done locally to address it.