Junk Food in schools

[LaLaLand2006]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4995268.stm

It's almost 20 years since I left school so I don't know what the kids are taught these days in terms of "home economics" etc, but will schools also be taking this opportunity to teach kids about nutrition etc. I saw the Jamie Oliver programme about school dinners and it seemed that a lot of the problem also seemed to be what kids were being fed at home. I'm not being glib and saying "I blame the parents" as it's not that simple. What's other people opinions on this and our junk food society?

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think nutritional education would make an ounce of difference

We all know that booze and cigarettes are bad for us but there's a big enough market

It boils down to the fact that if you give people a choice between pleasure now and rewards later many adults will take the "pleasure now" and almost all kids will. All the education in the world wont change that.

So you have to make the decision of how much of a choice you expose them to - You can't sensibly remove that choice in homes but you can in schools

[LaLaLand2006]

It's not about removing choice at home (or bringing on the Junk Food Police patrolling the neighbourhood!)
But surely education is the key. If you educate this generation on nutrition - and tell them about the rubbish that goes into burgers etc - the culture will start to change and hopefully this generation . Loads of the kids on the Jamie Oliver programme didn't even know what onions looked like. I believe totally in choice, but without knowing both sides of any argument or principle, there is no choice.

[WaldoMcFroog]

It really is very, very simple. When you have children, you just need to follow one simple rule:

Teach them to be scared of clowns.

It's what I intend to do. If it works, my kid wouldn't dare set foot in a MuckyDs for fear of being murdered by an evil circus entertainer.

Next week: teach your children to be scared of Southern Gentlemen wearing string neckties...

[jake-the-peg]

I think you're kidding yourself about education.

My kids know sweets and crisps are bad for them, rot their teeth and make them fat.

Does it stop them wanting to go to the sweet shop? What do you think?

I can't believe they're atypical.

[WaldoMcFroog]

In all seriousness, I think we're getting much more militant about what cr@p goes into our food now (and it's about time too).

It's not perfect, but consumer pressure has had a significant effect and the advent of food labelling has made people much aware of what they're putting into their food. That's why McDonalds have closed lots of restuarants and tried to make out they're the sort of place where girls called Sophie and Olivia go for a salad. Much of it may be advertising flim flam but it is having an effect.

Hit 'em in the wallet!

[LaLaLand2006]

I know what you're saying jake, I was brought up eating sweets, crisps etc.... but kids still need to be educated about things, otherwise there is no hope! It's not just education in schools, it's the media and mega-corporations that are to blame.

Do they show films like Supersize me at schools?!

[shaneystar2]

It's not just about the junk that kids eat at school or at home .When I was at school back in the dark ages we were fed stodge and had filling meals at home ..O.K we didn't have luxuries like crisps and sweets all the time or fizzy pop and stuff,...but... we ran around a lot and burned the fat off. Sports and games come way down in the agenda in a lot of schools these days.We had some form of exercise everyday at school.
Nowadays they are slumped over computers or stuck in front of the television. We are breeding a generation of couch potatoes.

[ll_billym]

Just about everyone, old and young knows or at least has been told what is good for you and what is bad for you.

I don't really think that there is any scope for extra "nutrition lessons", all that kids really need to know can be taught in less than 10 mins. Getting them (or adults) to take any action based on that knowledge is next to impossible, people just do what they want.

[lafrancaise]

I agree with everyone who says people know what is good for them and what isn't and they still go on eating what they shouldn't. It's only lately I learnt what all this stuff actually does to your body. As I don't want to be popping the diabetes pills and the cholestrol ones neither (especially with all their side-effects), and I want to reduce risk of cancer, I've changed my way of eating. I must add that by eating healthy foods ie low sugar and low fat you feel a lot better for it. So really by learning how your body functions and how sugar and fat causes it problems you know WHY they aren't good for you.

[sandbach99]

In todays paper a school in Cambridgeshire is to employ a person to teach their pupils aged between 4 and 11 how to use a knife and fork, say please and thank you, sit round a table and have a conversaeion and to take turns. If the parents have not taught basic skills to their children what have they fed them on, and what chance of the parents even reading or listening to nutritional information let alone feeding their children proper meals.

I do wonder how many of these childen without basic skills have been at home and how many have been to a nursery 5 days per week.

What I do not understand is why it is always McDonalds that are criticised in the media, are Burger King meals better for you, or is Kentucky Fried Chicken an ideal food.

[jno]

I grew up like Shaney on good, plain postwar food - never even saw a burger until about 1965. My son grew up on typical 1980s junk. So how come he's several inches taller than I am, and fitter and healthier than I ever was at his age? And how come I've been having my teeth filled since I was eight, and he's never even been to a dentist?

Serious question, and I can't help wondering if food isn't everything (though I can't imagine what else could have contributed). Anyone have any idea? (Sorry LaLaLand2006, I know this isn't quite an answer to your question but I suspect it's related.)

[sandbach99]

If the scientists and nutritionalists looked into and spelled out how much artifical favourings, colourings and sweeteners,pesticides and preservatives were in all foods including that said to be fresh, a lot of foods would be left on the shelves.

These are chemicals who knows the side effects, certainly the public are not told but they are sustances the body does not need.

It is said that if you avoid the diet foods containing Aspartame, the artificial sweetener, you are more likely to lose weight as this product helps to keep weight on therefore keeping you on a diet and selling more of the stuff.

Fruit and veg, unless organic, are feed chemicals to improve the plants growth, do these improve our growth round instead of lengthways ?