Start Healthy, Stay Healthy™: a Nestlé Nutrition
Initiative to Establish Healthy Eating Habits Early
Kathleen Reidy, DrPH, RD
Head, Nutrition Science,, Nestlé Infant Nutrition
1
Start Healthy, Stay Healthy ™ is Gerber’s
Commitment to Early Childhood Nutrition
SCIENCE
Elevate the nutrition
conversation through
scientific leadership
EDUCATION
Translate complex nutrition
science for all stakeholders
PRODUCT
INNOVATION
Integrate developmental
and nutrition science
for advanced
product design
2
Focus on Very Early Prevention is Critical,
but Limited
“What happens to a child during the first years of life is important to their
current and future health and well-being… into adulthood. However, national
efforts to prevent obesity have not paid enough attention to
infants, toddlers, and preschool children. The committee’s report
highlights the urgent need for early prevention.”
Pregnancy
Preschool
3
Modifiable Factors Associated with
Early Obesity (J Obesity, 2012)
• Lack of breastfeeding
• Diet quality and quantity:
– Early introduction (< 4 months) of complementary foods
– High intake of sweetened beverages
– Low intake of fruit and vegetables
• Habitual ‘food away from home’
• Lack of family meals
• Lack of responsive caregiver feeding behaviors (e.g., low attention to
hunger and satiety cues; use of overly restrictive or controlling feeding )
• Low nocturnal sleep duration
• TV / Screen viewing time; decreased active play
Pregnancy
Preschool
4
Science Driven: FITS Provides Great
Insights about Children’s Diets
• Dietary survey of over 3,000 infants & toddlers
• Snapshot of nutrient intakes and dietary patterns
• Fills an important information gap
• Published in 25+ peer-reviewed journal articles
2002 Key Findings
2008 Key Findings
•
•
•
•
• Improvements in breastfeeding and delayed
introduction of sweets
• Continuing lack of fruits and vegetables
• Infant and Toddler dietary gaps
• Preschooler diets high in sodium and
saturated fats
• Sweets constitute almost 15% of preschooler
calories
Lack of fruits and vegetables
Sweets introduced very early
Snacks contribute 30% of toddlers’ calories
Infant and Toddler dietary gaps
5
FITS has helped in shaping efforts in
childhood nutrition
Influencing Public Health Policy
Educating Through the Media
Sharing with Health Professionals
Changing Our Products and Services
6
FITS Insight:
Parents Don’t Recognize Overweight
BMI Categories for Children 2-19 years
Do you consider your child’s weight to be:
Overweight
Underweight 2.2%
8.6%
Obese
10.4%
BMI Category
Terminology
< 5th percentile
Underweight
5th-84th percentile
Healthy weight
85th-94th percentile
Overweight
≥ 95th percentile
Obesity
Overweight
10.8%
Underweight
3.0%
About right
89.1%
Healthy weight
75.8%
24-47 Months
24-59 Months
FITS 2008
NHANES, 1999-2004, 2007-2008
FITS 2008 - Table 164, Recruitment Interview, Question E3
Mei et al, J Pediatr 2008;153:622-8; Ogden et al JAMA 2010;303(3):242-9
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004, 2007-2008
7
Food Consumption Patterns are Set
by 18 Months of Age
Percent of Energy From Major Food Groups
Percent of Calories
/ Formula
After 18 months of age, the consistency of intake by food group is remarkably constant.
The stage is set for long term dietary patterns – and the current patterns are far from ideal
FITS 2008
8
Most Parents Think Their Child’s Diet has
Enough Fruit and Vegetables, BUT…
Percent of parents who think their child gets enough fruits and veggies
83%
6-11
84%
12-23
77%
24-35
Age in Months
72%
36-47
Source: FITS 2008
9
…Preschoolers are More Likely to have
a Sweet than a Fruit or Vegetable
Percentage of Children Consuming
Any Vegetable
Any Fruit *
Any Type of Sweet
89%
81%
72%
71%
63% 65%
77%
82%
72%
71% 73%
68%
72%
43%
17%
6-9
9-12
12-24
24-36
36-48
Age in Months
*excludes fruit juice
10
Start Healthy, Stay Healthy ™ :
Product Innovation
FITS Insight:
Gerber Innovation:
Lack of fruits and vegetables
Lil’ Entrees – one serving of
vegetables; cheese sauce made
with squash
Graduates Grabbers - fruit puree
in self-feeding package
Inadequate intake of
essential fats/high sat fat
Dairy products with healthier
fats – Omega 3 from canola oil
Whole grain gap
Pasta and finger foods made
with whole grains
Too many sweets and 25%
of calories from snacks
Healthier snack alternatives –
such as Yogurt and yogurt melts
11
Consumer Education is at the Heart
of the SHSH System
Direct
Mail
Social
Digital
Mobile
24/7 Call
Center with
RDs and
lactation
consultants
12
Direct Mail Format was Designed
by Millennial Moms
• What it is:
– Research driven format and style
– Redefined to improve consumer
comprehension
– Objective educational content
– Stronger link to digital assets to learn more
• Reaches:
–
–
–
–
Reaches approximately 2.1MM new moms/yr
Maintains engagement with 6.0MM moms/yr
Generates 24,000,000 impressions per year
Flexibility to update creative on a monthly basis
• Provides:
– Information on nutritional needs and
developmental milestones at each stage
13
Our 12-Video ‘How To’ Library Leverages
Sight, Sound and Motion to Educate Moms
• Why It Works:
– Digital format highly relevant
to today’s mom
– Features Millennial Mom
speaking (vs. Medical
Professional)
– 62,000 Views to Date
– YouTube is the #2 Search Engine
in America
• "How to" Videos on feeding at
every stage of development:
– How to add variety to your
baby’s diet
– How to Feed Your Toddler
– Feeding a Picky Eater
14
Science Driven Tools: Interactive Menu Planner to Teach
Mom about a Healthy Diet at Different Developmental
Stages
• Generates nutritionallyappropriate menus
– Based on both nutrients and
food groups
 IOM, AAP and MyPyramid
– Uses USDA nutrient database
– Based on developmental
stages
– Interactive and customizable
• Meets consumer need
– 600,000 gerber.com visits
per month
– 60,000 Menu Planner
downloads per month
15
Growth Tracker Chart’s Baby’s Growth
for You
Weight & Length/Height Data
Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart
16
USDA Partner – Supporting MyPlate
Educational Messages
Theme: Foods to Reduce
Key Message: Drink water instead of sugary drinks
17
We Must Start Prevention Efforts Earlier:
Known Modifiable Factors Associated with Early Obesity
(J Obesity, 2012)
Research is needed on HOW TO modify these factors
• Lack of breastfeeding
• Diet quality and quantity:
– Early introduction (< 4 months) of complementary foods
– High intake of sweetened beverages
– Low intake of fruit and vegetables
• Habitual ‘food away from home’
• Lack of family meals
• Lack of responsive caregiver feeding behaviors (e.g., low attention to hunger and
satiety cues; use of overly restrictive or controlling feeding )
• Low nocturnal sleep duration
• TV / Screen viewing time; decreased active play
Pregnancy
Preschool
18