Tom McNeile, Managing Director of the UK’s largest cooking school L’atelier des Chefs explains the importance of transparency and knowing what goes in your food, “We feel very strongly that education needs to start with adults and that it is extremely important that we know what has gone into our food. Cooking at home does not have to take huge amounts of time, money or energy - it can be simple, fast, delicious and enjoyable. It is vital that adults are well informed, and accordingly given the opportunity to teach their children to eat well. We teach 2,000 members of the public every month at L’atelier des Chefs and our concept is always to remind people not only of the joys of cooking but also the positive impact on our health, on family life and on our own finances.”

According to the British Heart Foundation, mothers-to-be also need to be better informed regarding nutrition in order to help avoid the risk of obesity and other health issues in regard to their developing baby. A professor from the foundation commented that the study “strengthens the case for all women of reproductive age [to have] greater access to nutritional, education and lifestyle support to improve the health of the next generation, and to reduce the risk of the conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which often follow obesity.” A strong emphasis is placed on this at L’atelier des Chefs, with education starting with adults, who can then pass on this message to their children.

Alarming facts on obesity in the UK:

1. 1/3 of overweight and obese people have been overweight or obese since childhood
2. Recent surveys show that over 30% of children aged 2 to 15 years old in the UK are currently obese
3. 69% of British adults agree that it is not the role of the Government to tell the public what they should and should not eat. 40% of respondents think that it is the responsibility of parents to teach children healthy eating habits, with 57% believing that the role of educating children about making the right food choices should be shared by both parents and schools
4. Just 127,000 prescriptions for obesity pills were handed out in England in 1999 against 1.45million in 2009
5. British women are now the most overweight in the whole of Western Europe

L’atelier des Chefs was founded to reinvigorate the nation’s love of cooking. The flagship class at their unit on Wigmore Street is the aptly named 'Cook, Eat and Run'. During this 30 minute public cooking class you will learn how to create a delicious meal, always under the tuition of a professional chef and using ingredients that can easily be bought in markets or supermarkets before sitting down to enjoy your meal afterwards in the dining area. According to Tom, ‘The Cook, Eat and Run is a revolutionary and unique cooking class. By showing the amazing food that can be achieved by anyone in only half an hour we prove that delicious cooking doesn’t have to be time consuming and can be part of our everyday lives.’

It is vital that adults understand the long-term impact of food associations, supporting sensible eating habits and a healthy relationship with food. L’atelier des Chefs makes cooking delicious and easy, encouraging us all to come together around the dining room table with our family and friends. Fighting obesity must start at home, and there is no better and more enjoyable place to start than in the kitchen!

Cooking classes from £15 per person.  www.atelierdeschefs.co.uk