Teachers and parents being taught Jamie Oliver dishes to tackle obesity in Hounslow

Hounslow suffers from some of the highest obesity rates in London with over 61 per cent of adults considered overweight, the 4th highest in the city.

The programme will be delivered across primary schools in Brentford, Heston, Isleworth and Cranford. This ‘unique’ initiative is said to specifically support primary schools struggling with deprivation and obesity. The council expect the scheme to reach over 1,100 in the first year alone.

An instructor from Jamie Oliver’s ‘Ministry of Food’ team will teach 14 ‘trainers’ [parents of primary school children, teachers, outreach workers] over a number of accredited training courses on food hygiene, safety, and waste. There will also be three days where these ‘trainers’ are taught how to cook a range of Oliver’s ‘healthy, affordable, low-waste’ recipes.

These include: ’50/50 Bolognese’, Lentil and Spinach Soup, Veggie Burritos, Fish and Blackbean Tostadas, and easy chickpea curry. The council say these sessions will teach the participants about ‘mindful eating’ and how to run their own classes.

They will then disperse across a number of schools to pass on their new knowledge to ‘children and their parents where it is most needed’. These schools include:

• Green Dragon Primary School, Brentford
• Westbrook Primary School, Heston
• Ivybridge Primary School, Isleworth
• Beavers Community Primary School, Cranford

Hounslow Council will provide each primary school with a £500 starter kit, including any equipment required to teach these sessions. They say the programme is part of plans to tackle ‘worrying’ obesity levels in the borough.

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Jamie Oliver said: “We want the next generation to grow up understanding and loving food, as well as having the skills and knowledge to be able to nourish themselves. Nearly 20 per cent of reception-age kids in Hounslow were overweight in 2023, rising to 40 per cent in Year 6 – and this is a trend we see up and down the country.

“There is no easy fix when it comes to obesity, and the issue certainly can’t be solved through cooking alone. But it’s wonderful to be working with Hounslow on this initiative to support parents and young people, which will help them make healthier food choices.

He added: “Independent research from our Ministry of Food programme has shown that people who take part eat 1.5 more portions of fruit and veg a day, and consume fewer unhealthy snacks and takeaways too.”

Councillor Salman Shaheen told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We’re specifically targeting areas with high deprivation where health outcomes are poorest and where early intervention can make a real difference. I love cooking and I know how fun my son finds getting involved in the kitchen.

“By showing kids and their families who’ve never cooked before how great cooking can be, and how they can prepare healthy, nutritious, affordable meals, that reflect the diversity of the borough, we can help them live healthier lives and have fun doing it.”