The starting point of Food4Smiles
For many families, a healthy lifestyle cannot be taken for granted, and not every child in the Netherlands has the same chance of getting a healthy start. These differences are caused by many factors, but to date we do not yet have a good understanding of which factors are most important. To find out, it is essential to involve parents with young children. This is currently not happening enough. There is too little insight into the motivations of the target group, and too often a lecturing approach is used or too much emphasis is placed on providing information. In addition, the entire system surrounding the first 1,000 days is important, because responsibility for a healthy start cannot be placed solely on parents and caregivers. By looking at a problem at the system level and positively changing the system at key points, a chain reaction of results will occur.
Why Amsterdam Nieuw-West?
Food4Smiles takes place in Amsterdam Nieuw-West because this district has great ethnic diversity and many residents have a low socioeconomic status. In addition, children are relatively more likely to be overweight than in the rest of Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
On average, 2,000 babies are born in Amsterdam Nieuw-West every year.
The base of operations for Food4Smiles is the Stadsboerderij in Osdorp. This is a green experiment in the middle of the city, where nature, good food and a pleasant neighbourhood take centre stage.
The goals of Food4Smiles
Gathering insights
Together with parents, Food4Smiles gathers insights from parents with young children and their immediate social environment. We investigate the challenges they face and what helps them give their children a healthy start.
Translating insights into action
Together with parents and their immediate social environment, Food4Smiles tests what works, investigates why something works and ensures that successful actions continue in the neighbourhood.
Taking a systemic view
Food4Smiles examines the broader system surrounding the first 1,000 days of children in Amsterdam Nieuw-West so that they can better understand which levers they need to use to increase the chances of a healthy start.
Providing a scientific foundation
Because Food4Smiles provides the project with a scientific foundation, the insights gained can be widely disseminated and applied, both nationally and internationally.
Getting things moving
Food4Smiles is initiating a movement in Amsterdam Nieuw-West around the importance of a healthy first 1,000 days for children. We are doing this together with the Amsterdam Healthy Weight Approach (AAGG) and Gezonde en Kansrijke Start.
Making it visible
Food4Smiles uses art to make the importance of a healthy start visible to everyone in the neighbourhood.
For more information: www.food4smiles.nl