YOUNGSTERS from Rose Hill have taken to the silver screen to encourage families across Oxfordshire to make healthier food choices.

Seven members of the Rose Hill Junior Youth Club were chosen to star in What Would You Swap? , a short film which encourages young people to replace sugary foods in their diet with healthier options.

It is hoped the film, which was shown in public for the first time at Rose Hill Community Centre, will help reduce obesity, diabetes and tooth decay in the county.

Figures revealed in the Oxford Mail last month showed one in three five-year-olds in Oxfordshire suffer from tooth decay.

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Rhyanna Cane, 10, was one of the young people who took part in the film.

She said: “It was good fun.We had to write a food diary and work out how much sugar we had eaten.

“My food swap was high sugar Coco Pops for porridge which has no sugar.”

Rose Hill community worker Fran Gardner said: “At the youth club we bring in our nutritionist and she works with the children and looks at what they could swap, such as breakfast cereals for porridge.

“During the filming each child did a food diary and looked at what they ate the previous day and as a group at what they could swap.

“When the children get into their teenage and adult lives they will carry these good messages with them, which is absolutely vital.

“The children were delighted to be involved.

“It’s never too early or too late to introduce people to the benefits of healthy eating and this film will go a long way towards educating families in Oxfordshire about the importance of making healthier choices and eating right.”

The film was produced by Oxfordshire County Council, Film Oxford and social investment agency GreenSquare Group as part of the council’s Eat Well, Move Well campaign.

Following the public premiere on Thursday it was made available to schools, youth groups and families in GreenSquare homes countywide on the county council’s website.

County council cabinet member for public health Hilary Hibbert-Biles said: “The importance of a healthy diet for young people cannot be overstated, it really does give them the best start in life.

“Healthy children grow into healthy adults and we should take every opportunity to educated them early on about ways in which they can avoid hidden sugar and calories.

“This film provides a great tool for getting the message out further.”

  • To see the video go to oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/news/2014/oct/film-thought-brings-sugar-forefront
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