PRODUCING more community gardens in Mandurah could help reduce childhood obesity and improve the health of residents according to public health expert Amanda Devine.
Professor Devine will be urging community members to curate more local gardens during her workshop, Activating Healthy Food Hubs: How People Shape Mandurah Spaces.
The workshop, to be held at Make Place on December 13, will explore how the current built food environment negatively impacts nutrition and health in the community.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWProf Devine said children were currently more likely to walk past a fast food shop than a community garden on their way home from school.
“If we could reverse this trend we could help improve the food literacy of our young people and help them make healthier choices for life,” she said.
“The habits that young people develop follow them throughout their life, so if we want people to eat healthier food and enjoy all the health benefits that go along with that, then we need to focus on helping children to make good food choices and this starts in the early years setting.”
Prof Devine said community gardens helped nurture the relationships between teachers, parents, children and the wider community to support food and health literacy.
Shape Mandurah has plans to create a local community garden as one of the groups next large projects.
To register for the free workshop visit https://www.facebook.com/events/363754040719795/.
MORE: Fatal Canning Vale brawl: person arrested
MORE: Midland Police CBD team named best in the state following WA Police Excellence Awards
