A food and nutrition adviser from the Pan American Health Organisation visited Bermuda to provide technical support for the development of a child healthy eating programme.

Audrey Morris held talks with Department of Health programme managers, Bermuda Hospitals Board maternity staff, paediatricians and obstetricians over the National Food and Nutrition Policy and Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy.

Nutritional status, food security including food accessibility and availability, dietary habits and breastfeeding were all up for discussion during the visit.

A press release from the health ministry said the National Food and Nutrition Policy was being aligned with both national strategies and international plans.

Among other nutrition objectives, the policy will address the rise of obesity in children and adults.

Dr Morris stated: “The visit has been very successful. There is tremendous amount of interest in nutrition and breastfeeding policy.

“We are trying to ensure the nutritional needs of the people of Bermuda are met in a balanced way so everybody has access to safe food on a regular basis that will protect them from chronic non-communicable diseases.

“More children can benefit from breastfeeding exclusively for six months as the optimal way for feeding a child. We need to improve the initiation rate and lengthen the time women are able to breastfeed. There is a link between breastfeeding and obesity as children who are breastfed are less likely to be overweight.”