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Improving Kids’ Diets, UK Style
Posted by Raven on July 16th, 2008
Once again we see a government taking control away from parents. This is For The Children gone wild.
A school is banning packed lunches in an effort to improve children’s diets.
King David Primary in Childwall, Liverpool, is thought to be the first school in the country to take the step.
It is the latest in a series of moves to improve what children eat at schools in the wake of a nationwide campaign by the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
Governors at the Jewish school admit the move is “controversial” but say it is part of a drive to make sure youngsters eat a balanced diet.
Okay…children eat one meal a day at school; and have a couple snacks. Why do schools think this will have much impact? And why is it the school’s responsibiity to “make sure” anything?
The decision was taken after staff reported seeing children’s lunch boxes packed with unhealthy snacks, including doughnuts.
“It is controversial, but as a school, we want to get our meals right,” Lauren Lesin-Davis, chair of the governors, said.
“We are amazed at what we find in children’s lunch boxes. Some even come in with doughnuts.”
Children will not be forced to eat school meals, and parents will be allowed to take them home to eat at lunchtimes if they choose.
Uh huh. I’m sure a few kids come to school with junk. But I’m just as sure more do not, then do. When my kids were little I sent them to school with fruits and fresh fruit juices and salads and a sandwich, along with an item considered (GASP!!) junk. Kids need sugars and fats in order to grow properly. A bag of chips, the dreaded donut- is not going to KILL a child.
Skipping meals, however, can harm kids more than any diet. What happens when a kid skips lunch? They go home and devour food- lots of it. What happens when we eat a lot? We get full tummies which cause us to feel like doing NOTHING. And so it is with rules like this. The vicious cycle begins with stupid stuff such as this ban.
Most parents are aware of what a healthy lunch box contains. Most parents do provide a decent meal for their children and a government school district has no business interfering with this.
Young children do not need diet police; they need education and direction from parents and teachers. They need to know it’s okay to snack on junk once in awhile- along with exercise and good old fashioned play kids will be fine. Limiting access to video games, TV, computers and other gadgets would be far more effective than ANY DIET. Taking kids outside to play, to run, to throw balls and climb trees/gym type equipment is more effective. Walking and riding a bike work well too.
Banning home prepared lunches is not effective and it takes away parental right and responsibility. If I were a parent in Liverpool, I’d be refusing to abide to this. I’d encourage every single parent to follow my lead too.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I think that our unhealthy and overweight children have been harmed worse by inactivity and the lack of physical education and recess time.. time that has been made for extra scholastic pursuits. Our kids also would rather sit and watch the boob tube and play video games. When i was a teenager, we played plenty of video games… but we also made time for physical activities.. so we weren’t tubby… kids today.. they don’t even get PE in schools really… I remember some PE classes were the kids walking around the track as opposed to any real physical activity…
July 17th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Yeah…but I don’t think the schools’ should be responsible for the physical fitness of kids. That’s the parents role. Schools should encourage activity= play, recess, sports, ect ect during the school day. I remember going on hikes, as part of nature classes- hikes up small mountains! And thru forests and up to lakes and rivers. Now? It’s unheard of.
Also, we had a bike trail on the playground…and we were allowed to ride during recess. Not now. Sheesh. Laziness has become a way of life for Americans and Brits. And the obesity problem, even inflated as it is, is a result of this.