Following on from the success of our primary healthy eating show ‘Food 4 Thought’ it was considered that there was need for a piece of theatre with a similar message but with older pupils in mind.
Good nutrition is important during adolescence, when children's minds and bodies need the right fuel to sustain growth. However, many young people eat far too much fast-food during these formative years and leave the basic food groups far behind. A staggering 25% of 11-16 year olds are now considered to be obese, this figure has risen dramatically over the past ten years and continues to rise.
Cancer and heart disease between them claim 225,000 lives each year in this country making up a third of all early deaths. Britain in fact has the highest rate of heart disease in Europe. The second most contributory factor to this (after smoking tobacco) has been identified as bad diet and in particular a lack of fruit and vegetables.
Fatty and sugary foods are more readily available now then ever before, average portion sizes and calories per mouthful have increased and people are less active. These and many more factors have meant that our children’s bodies and their health is changing.
The Government has set out an initiative to encourage all of us to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day to try and tackle this problem. Recent World Health Organisation statistics suggest that we are falling well below this target with one in five young people eating none whatsoever.
Young people care about their appearance, once they understand that there is a connection between looking good, performing well and eating right, they will be less resistant to change bad habits.
With this in mind Chain Reaction Theatre Company have created a new and dynamic piece of theatre which clearly sets out the case for eating a healthy and balanced diet whilst entertaining through a variety of popular youth culture formats.
Charlie’s Angels have a new mission. Changing young people’s eating habits could save many thousands of lives and with this responsibility in mind the angels set about their task with gusto. Somersaults and Kung Fu stances abound as they take on both the supermarket and the school canteen. They finally discover that all the foods we need are in fact readily available and that it is up to us to make our own informed decisions to ensure a long and healthy future.
We learn how to read the often confusing labels on packets and tins. How different cooking methods can help us cut down on salt and fat. And perhaps most important of all, that food is ultimately to be enjoyed with the issues of diet and exercise also explored.
The audience is kept constantly stimulated as along the way we meet David Beckham at the Euro 2004 final; The Simpsons; Simon Bowel and his Pop Idol contestants; Christina Aguilera and almost the entire cast of Eastenders!
‘Feeding The Future’ is an explosion of comedy, drama and song containing the message that feeding our minds with the right nutritional information can ultimately save lives.
Written by Peter Tennant. ‘Feeding the Future” was originally funded by the Barking and Havering five-a-day initiative.
