Citerank: (12) 369908NICE – DietHaving a healthy balanced diet helps prevent obesity, cardiovascular and many other conditions. This pathway covers recommendations for everyone about diet and lifestyle, and recommendations for health professionals on interventions to encourage people to follow a healthy diet.565CA4D9, 370053Standards for take-aways and other food outletsFood from take-aways and other outlets (the 'informal eating out sector') comprises a significant part of many people's diet. Local planning authorities have powers to control fast-food outlets565CA4D9, 370054Environment and food565CA4D9, 370055Marketing and commercial interestsMarketing and promotions aimed at children and young people – and commercial interests.565CA4D9, 370056Public sector cateringPublic sector organisations are important providers of food and drink to large sections of the population. It is estimated that they provide around one in three meals eaten outside the home. Hence, an effective way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) would be to improve the nutritional quality of the food and drink they provide.565CA4D9, 370058Supporting people who are stopping smokingAll interventions to support smoking cessation should: (1) ensure people are given information on services that provide advice on prevention and management of obesity, and (2) if appropriate give people who are concerned about their weight general advice on long-term weight management, in particular encouraging increased physical activity.565CA4D9, 370067NICE – Physically active travelPolicy goal: Ensure government funding supports physically active modes of travel. To achieve this, the evidence suggests that the following are among the measures that should be considered.565CA4D9, 370069NICE – Public open spaces and physical activityPlanning the provision of spaces and facilities. It is important to improve the environment to encourage physical activity and evaluate how such improvements impact on the public's health.565CA4D9, 370196Reducing saltHigh levels of salt in the diet are linked with high blood pressure which, in turn, can lead to stroke and coronary heart disease. High levels of salt in processed food have a major impact on the total amount consumed by the population. Over recent years the food industry, working with the Food Standards Agency, has made considerable progress in reducing salt in everyday foods. However, it is taking too long to reduce average salt intake among the population. 565CA4D9, 370197Reducing saturated fatsReducing general consumption of saturated fat is crucial to preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Over recent years, much has been done (by the Food Standards Agency, consumers and industry) to reduce the population's intake. Consumption levels are gradually moving towards the goal set by the Food Standards Agency: to reduce population intake of saturated fat from 13.3% to below 11% of food energy. However, a further substantial reduction would greatly reduce CVD and deaths from CVD.565CA4D9, 370198Reducing trans fatsIndustrially-produced trans fatty acids (IPTFAs) constitute a significant health hazard. In recent years many manufacturers and caterers, with the encouragement of the Food Standards Agency and other organisations, have considerably reduced the amount of IPTFAs in their products. However, certain sections of the population may be consuming a substantially higher amount of IPTFAs than average (for instance, those who regularly eat fried fast-food).565CA4D9, 371180NICE – Transport and physical activity565CA4D9

Since the American Heart Association last presented nutrition guidelines for children, significant changes have occurred in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and nutrition behaviors in children. Overweight has increased, whereas saturated fat and cholesterol intake have decreased, at least as percentage of total caloric intake. Better understanding of children’s cardiovascular risk status and current diet is available from national survey data. New research on the efficacy of diet intervention in children has been published. Also, increasing attention has been paid to the importance of nutrition early in life, including the fetal milieu. This scientific statement summarizes current available information on cardiovascular nutrition in children and makes recommendations for both primordial and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease beginning at a young age.

This document provides dietary and physical activity recommendations for healthy children; discusses the current content of children’s diets; reviews the adverse health consequences of increased intakes of calories (relative to energy expenditure), saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol; and provides age-specific guidelines for implementation of the recommended diet, including the period from before birth to 2 years of age.