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Start
the lessons early in children’s
nutrition
The Health
Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) welcomes the
current debate on the nutritional
value of school meals.
As 52% of schoolchildren in Northern Ireland eat school dinners,
schools have a significant contribution to make to improving
children’s and young people’s health1.
Research shows that eating patterns developed during childhood
tend to be continued into adulthood and therefore have lifelong
consequences. Poor nutrition during childhood and adolescence
is associated with bad oral health and an increased risk
of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease.
The HPA’s Eating for Health survey highlights that
children in Northern Ireland eat more fat, sugar and salt
and less fruit and vegetables than are recommended for health.
For example just 12% of 5-11 year old children in the survey
eat the recommended 5 or more portions each day, according
to their parents, while 15% do not eat any fruit or vegetables
on a daily basis. Two thirds (66%) of schoolchildren were
reported to eat chips once or twice a week. Children here
are also high consumers of snacks that are high in fat and/or
sugar, eg more than two out of five boys and almost half
of girls aged 5-11 years were reported to eat confectionery
at least once a day.
Dr Brian
Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “The
school meals service could play a central role in improving
these statistics. At present, however, we believe that the
level of spending on the service, including staffing and
food, is inadequate. We voiced our concern last year over
the current spending on the food ingredients in school meals
in Northern Ireland, which ranges between 34p and 56p per
meal. Investing now in school meals would be a valuable investment
for health in the future"
During
the last few years the HPA has been working with the Department
of Education to develop nutritional standards
for school meals. In March 2004 a one year pilot scheme was
introduced to implement the nutritional standards in over
100 schools across Northern Ireland. The HPA is currently
managing a thorough evaluation of the pilot programme.
Dr Gaffney
continued: “We hope that in the near future
adequate funding will be made available to ensure that the
nutritional standards can be fully implemented in all schools
across Northern Ireland, from nursery to post-primary, as
we believe that this could have a very significant impact
on our children’s health in the short and longer term.
“However, it is also important to remember that children’s
nutrition comes from many other sources inside and outside
school, including vending machines, tuck shops in schools,
mobile or fixed food outlets close to schools, and the food
provided by parents. Ensuring good nutrition and improvements
in health for our children will require the active involvement
of all these providers.”
END
Notes
to the editor
- Copies of Catering
for healthier lifestyles - compulsory nutritional standards
for school meals can be downloaded
from the Department of Education website: www.deni.gov.uk.
For
further information contact
Rosie McGaughey at the Health Promotion Agency -Tel: 9031 1611
or 9031 1514.
¹ Young
Persons Behaviour and Attitude Survey – NISRA (June
2004)
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