City lecturer bids to alter eating habits

From the archive, first published Monday 13th Mar 2006.

A LECTURER at the University of Worcester is hoping to carry on Jamie Oliver's transformation of children's eating habits by encouraging county caterers to continue the food revolution.

Nutritionist Dr Denise Mortimore has developed a series of short courses for caterers, lunchtime supervisors, parents, teachers, assistant teachers, school nurses, and anyone interested in food and nutrition, to gain a certificate or diploma in nutrition.

The qualifications are awarded by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, with courses set to start at the university at the end of July.

Currently, school meal providers only have to gain a foundation level certificate in food hygiene, but Dr Mortimore believes that good grounding in nutrition and food preparation is the next stage forward.

She said: "The aim of these courses is to provide all those involved in the preparation and delivery of children's food with key nutritional skills, knowledge and understanding.

"It is a first step to providing a good balanced diet that will impact on the overall health of our children.

"People are becoming more health-conscious, and prevention of ill-health by nutrition, along with other lifestyle changes, are seen as the way forward in tackling many degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer."

Dr Mortimore has already been working with Worcestershire County Council to investigate the effect of diet on pupils' behaviour and concentration.

She is also working with Cath Phillipson, co-ordinator of the National Healthy Schools Programme with Worcestershire County Council's Education Services.

To further the knowledge in nutrition Dr Mortimore, and her team at the University, has also devised an undergraduate course in human nutrition and a postgraduate course in nutritional therapy, both of which are to start this September, subject to validation.

For further information on any of these courses, contact Denise Mortimore on 01905 855224 or email i.mortimore@worc.ac.uk.

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