Welsh Government consultation on changing school food
The new rules will ensure children are offered nutritionally balanced school food and drink, and that healthy eating is promoted in schools to improve health, wellbeing, and attainment.
Evidence shows that children eat too much sugar and don't consume enough fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains, contributing to health issues like childhood obesity.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, said: "Good nutrition is vital for helping young people perform at their best - whether in the classroom, on the pitch, or pursuing their goals.
"Our evidence-based changes to school food rules will help give Welsh children the best start in life while supporting Welsh producers and nurturing a generation of healthy eaters to safeguard the future of our NHS."
Rachel Bath, consultant in public health for Public Health Wales, said: "Strengthening these regulations is a vital step to ensure school food supports lifelong healthy eating habits."
The consultation is open to parents, teachers, suppliers, and young people.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
23 minutes ago
- Scotsman
What you need to be aware of when you're taking weight loss jabs
Around 1.5 million people in the UK use weight loss treatments 💉 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK use weight loss medications. GPs were given the green light to prescribe weight loss jabs in June. A pharmacist has revealed what you need to be aware of when starting them. A leading pharmacist has revealed exactly what to expect after starting weight loss jabs. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK use weight-loss treatments, though that number is expected to rise after GPs were given the green light to prescribe them in June this year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Weight loss treatments are now available across the UK through the NHS, although the majority of users (estimated at 1.4 million) still access them privately via online pharmacies. This has prompted calls from Well Pharmacy's Head of Weight Management Services Mital Thakrar, to urge users to have all the facts in front of them before starting their weight-loss journey. Mr Thakrar said: 'Weight-loss treatments are increasing in popularity and the benefits are plain to see. A recent trial looking at Brit's weight loss after using weight-loss treatments showed over eight in 10 people lost at least 5% of their weight, and around half lost 15% or more. 'The more patients know about what to expect and how to prevent and or manage side effects, the smoother their journey will be.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK use weight loss treatments. | Pexels, MART PRODUCTION What to expect when starting weight loss injections? When you start weight loss treatment, the medications are likely to leave you feeling fuller faster, and you may have less interest in food. This is because the drugs delay your stomach from emptying, which can leave you feeling fuller for longer. Mr Thakrar said: 'You may feel nauseous or might even vomit. This is very common in the early days and will pass. One way of easing these symptoms is by eating smaller meals and avoiding fatty or spicy foods.' Other common side effects include constipation and diarrhoea, which can be managed by ensuring you are drinking water regularly. Fibre supplements or stool softeners are also helpful in easing constipation symptoms. There are also reports of indigestion or heartburn. Avoid lying down after eating, or speak to your pharmacist about antacids that can help by neutralising excess stomach acids. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Thakrar added: 'Some users report tiredness and headaches, but this is often temporary and improves with time. My most important piece of advice would be to get expert advice from a trained healthcare professional when you start weight loss treatments.' When will I start losing weight? Weight loss will start slowly, peaking between three to six months as your body adjusts. Mr Thakrar explains: 'Initially, most weight loss is water and appetite-related. Peak fat loss comes between months three and six, when results should be visible. It's after six months that things slow down, unless you've changed your habits, like being more active, and eating more healthily.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What can I do to increase my weight loss? Weight loss treatments enhance, but don't replace lifestyle changes. Mr Thakrar, explains that it's important to take diet and exercise into consideration as part of your overall weight loss plan. When should I seek medical help? Some side effects indicate you should seek medical help from your pharmacist or doctor immediately. This includes persistent vomiting, intense abdominal pain, or ongoing feelings of nausea. Mr Thakrar said: 'This could be early signs of pancreatitis, which is a serious condition where an organ called the pancreas becomes inflamed. Many people with acute pancreatitis recover within a week with treatment and rest. But severe cases can lead to complications like pancreatic necrosis (tissue death), infection, pseudocysts (fluid-filled sacs), and organ failure.' If you are having difficulty breathing, swallowing, or a rash or swelling, this could be a sign of an allergic reaction and requires urgent medical help. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Thakrar said: 'These might be signs of a serious allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis) or airway swelling, both of which can become life-threatening very quickly. 'Even though these reactions are rare with weight-loss treatments, they can still happen, especially when starting a new medication, so it's important to be vigilant and act quickly if you have any concerns. If it's a serious medical emergency, call 999' Will weight loss medications work long-term? Most people lose at least 5% of their body weight when following weight loss treatment, with around half losing 15% or more. Mr Thakrar said: 'To put it into perspective, if you weigh 100 kg, a 15% loss is around 15 kg (about 2.5 stone), and if you weigh 85 kg, a 10% loss is 8.5 kg (just over a stone)'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, for the treatment to remain effective, you must combine weight loss treatment with healthy habits like eating well and exercising more to see long-term improvements.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The hospitals with the LONGEST waiting lists revealed: As 7.37million people wait for routine treatment, the Government is slammed for 'misleading' public on NHS figures
The number of people in England waiting for routine hospital treatment has surged for the first time since March. More than 7.37million treatments—relating to 6.23million patients— are now in the queue for ops like hip replacements, official data revealed today. This includes over 190,000 people stuck in limbo for at least a year, often in pain. While the figure for June marks a drop on the record 7.77million treatments logged in September 2023, it is up almost 10,000 on May. Separate NHS monthly performance data today also revealed around 1,000 patients faced waits of at least 12 hours in A&E every day in June. Experts slammed the 'unacceptable' toll being heaped on patients, warning that A&E clinicians are 'reporting this week as one of the worst they have experienced'. It comes just hours after a leading think tank warned the NHS and the Government had 'misled' the public about the reasons why the waiting list has fallen. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has repeatedly claimed the 260,000 drop in the NHS backlog since the general election 'was not a coincidence', adding that it was because of 'record investment and fundamental NHS reform'. But a new Quality Watch report by the Nuffield Trust think tank found 245,000 appointments were being removed every month because patients died, had treatment elsewhere or moved abroad, rather than because treatment had finished. According to the monthly NHS figures, the number of hospital treatments on the waiting list jumped by 9,712 to 7.37million. Some 191,814—2.6 per cent of those in the backlog — had been waiting at least 12 months. And 1,103 had been waiting for at least 18 months. Although that figure is down from the 1,237 in May. Waiting lists last increased in March before falling for two consecutive months. Responding to the latest figures, Dr Becks Fisher, Nuffield Trust director of research and policy, said the waiting list 'remains stubbornly high'. She added: 'Our new analysis shows that waiting list reductions in previous months are not wholly due to increases in appointments being delivered. In fact, the NHS is still treating fewer patients than are being referred. 'But, an average of about 245,000 cases have been coming off the list each month due to reasons other than patients being recorded as getting their treatment. 'Doing this work to improve the accuracy of the waiting list is important, but we should be under no illusions that despite delivering more appointments, the NHS is still not meeting patient demand.' Elsewhere, new analysis from NHS England found more care was delivered during the most recent doctors' strike compared to a year ago. Resident doctors—formerly known as junior doctors—in England took to the picket lines for five days in July 25 in a dispute with the Government over pay. But, according to the health service, 11,071 more appointments and procedures went ahead during this strike compared to the five-day walkout before the general election in 2024. Staff absences were also lower, it said, with around 1,243 fewer staff absent each day on average compared to last June. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the figures show the NHS 'was more resilient against last month's strike action than ever before'. 'We are getting on with the job of delivering progress in the face of strike action, and we will continue to put patients first,' he said. Latest A&E figures, however, show 35,467 patients had to wait more than 12 hours last month before being admitted, transferred or discharged. Some 76.4 per cent of patients were seen within four hours in A&Es in July, up from 75.5 per cent in June. The health service's target is 78 per cent. But these figures only look at trolley waits — the time between doctors deciding a patient needs to be admitted and them getting a bed. Figures capturing exact arrival times at A&E paint a much bleaker picture, with 122,852 patients (8.3 per cent) forced to wait at least 12 hours. Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: 'These figures again highlight the extent of the crisis across urgent and emergency care, with an unacceptable amount of people waiting over 12 hours in emergency departments, often suffering avoidable harm. 'Clinicians across the UK are reporting this week as one of the worst they have experienced, with no sign of the brief respite seen in the immediate aftermath of recent strike action. 'Yet there remains no tangible and immediate action to address urgent workforce and capacity issues. 'Sadly, instead, recent commentary and reporting suggests a growing reliance on selective or misleading interpretations of NHS data, as highlighted this week in analysis by the Nuffield Trust which calls into question claims the NHS is being turned around. 'This is similar to what is being seen in many urgent and emergency care settings where some areas are being rebranded to 'off the clock' areas improving performance data but not changing the patient journey or experience. Cancer patients also faced longer waits in June—separate NHS figures released today show just one of the three national cancer targets were met. Just 67.1 per cent of newly-diagnosed cancer patients referred for urgent treatment were seen within two months—the target is 85 per cent. Meanwhile, only 91.7 per cent of patients started treatment within 31 days of being booked in June, below the goal of 96 per cent. The health service target of telling at least 75 per cent of patients with suspected cancer they do or don't have the disease was, however, met at 76.8 per cent. But separate ambulance figures for July released by the health service today, found response times had improved. Heart attack and stroke patients in England, known as category two callers, had to wait an average of 28 minutes and 40 seconds for paramedics to arrive on the scene. This is almost a minute quicker than June but ten minutes longer than the 18 minute target. The average category one response time—calls from people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries—was 7 minutes and 56 seconds. This is just 1 second longer than the previous month. The target time is seven minutes. Ambulance teams handled more than 843,535 incidents in July.
South Wales Guardian
26 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Teenager who researched medical cannabis to study at Oxford
Ariana Howells, 17, achieved three A*s and one A in A-level biology, chemistry, maths, and English literature, plus 97% in her Extended Project Qualification, and will now take her place at Oxford University's St Hilda College to study biochemistry. Ariana, from Barry in Wales, carried out research examining the extent THC, a component of cannabis, can 'negatively affect sleep architecture' as part of her studies. The project highlighted the drug's promise, as well as gaps in existing research. 'There were only seven studies worth citing,' Ariana, a scholarship student at Cardiff Sixth Form College, said. 'I expected clearer answers, but what I found was a real need for more in-depth, unbiased research. This is something I want to keep exploring at university and beyond.' Ariana's interest in medical cannabis is personal as well as academic. Her mother lives with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition with no cure, and medical cannabis has played a crucial role in improving her quality of life. Her parents run a medical cannabis clinic in Wales – Cannabis Clinic Cardiff – where the teenager has spent the last two years helping with admin and learning about the evolving science behind the plant-based treatment. She said: 'Seeing my mum's condition and the way cannabis helped her and the patients who visit our clinic really opened my eyes to its medical potential. 'My dad is also a senior psychiatrist, so I've grown up in a household where science and care come together.' Outside of school, Ariana earned gold in the Biology Olympiad, reached the semi-finals in the International Biology Bowl, and is also a competitive ice skater, having competed in the juvenile British championships in 2020 for synchronised ice skating. Now preparing for Oxford, Ariana plans to channel her energy into drug development and mental health research – with a special interest in how medical cannabis could one day transform care. 'There's still stigma and strong media opinions,' she said. 'But science is about asking difficult questions and being open to where the evidence leads.' Welsh Education Secretary Lynne Neagle extended her congratulations to students picking up their results on Thursday. She said: 'Every learner opening their results today has earned the right to feel immense pride in what they've accomplished, and these achievements demonstrate remarkable determination. 'As you look towards your future, whether that involves starting an apprenticeship, entering employment, or beginning studies at university, I wish you 'pob lwc'.'
