More than 120 key health, schools and childcare professionals have already attended the workshop in Kent.
The workshops organised by the Regional Public Health Group and Children and Learners Team at GOSE focused on the importance of a healthy start in life to ensure well-being in the future.
The South East's Regional Obesity Programme Lead, Pamela Naylor said:
"We know it is vital to lay firm foundations for good nutrition starting from conception. These workshops are helping to encourage people living in the region to recognise the importance of a good diet in childhood. The epidemic of unhealthy weight gain will result in increased levels of heart disease, cancer, stroke and arthritis and shortened life expectancy. "
Latest figures released last month showed one in seven children in the South East is obese. Two-thirds of adults are overweight with 21.1% of adults being obese.
Juliette Harmer, the Obesity Lead for the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority, who was one of the key speakers at the conferences, highlighted the work that needs to be done within families in tackling childhood obesity:
"Children, particularly those of pre-school and primary school age have very little control over their food access and intake, and are leading increasingly sedentary lives due to the loss of sports, play and leisure facilities and increases in inactive pastimes such as TV and computer games.
"Changes to the eating habits and physical activity levels need to be done family-wide so they become an integral part of the child and the family's healthier lifestyle."
In the South East Coast area there are already a range of programmes where children and young people have opportunities to develop healthier lifestyles, to be more active and eat healthy. The schemes include:
- Health Bites Back - a schools project where a specialist is provided to offer healthy eating and physical activity sessions to school classes
- Elmbridge Explorers, which arranges walks for families, and
- SHOUT! - a local holiday activity scheme offering a range of activities such as healthy cookery courses and themed walks.
