Healthy Eating In School Lunches

Healthy eating in school lunches

In recent years it has seemed impossible to flick through a newspaper or even scroll through Facebook without the subject of school dinners or Jamie Oliver popping up. The subject started making headlines in 2005 when Jamie waged war on the turkey twizzler, an unhealthy lunch time staple loved by children, causing outrage in classrooms throughout the UK. Following Jamie?s victory major reforms were put in place with strict laws being made in 2015 stating that school meals must include one or more portions of vegetables or salad every day and no more than two portions of fried foods or pastry-based foods each week. Since his first victory Jamie has continued to fight for better lunch standards for children, with his most recent cause being the availability of free lunch?s for children.   

The reason why school lunches have been at the forefront of news in recent years is because the obesity rates throughout children in the UK are extraordinarily high and getting higher. As it currently stands nearly one third (28%) of children aged between 2-15 are classed as either overweight or obese. In 2017 a report published by the NHS stated that one in five children in year six were classified as obese this is compared to one in ten in reception clearly showing a correlation between children starting school and becoming obese, one of the obvious causes of which is  the lunches provided  for children .

Obesity in children is an extremely real threat to both the lives of children and adults. It is so serious that in 2004 the House of Commons health committee reported that ?we could be the first generation where children die before their parents as a consequence of childhood obesity? (Nhs.uk. 2018). Obesity at a young age can cause a range of health issues and diseases in later life, 80% of people with type two diabetes are either overweight or obese and around a third of coronary heart disease and stroke and 60% of hypertensive disease in developed countries are due to being overweigh. This is why on apple day, the 21st of October, Class People will be promoting good health within schools. Class People consultants will be handing out apples to local schools to remind everyone to eat healthily.   

References

Files.digital.nhs.uk. (2018). [online] Available at: https://files.digital.nhs.uk/publication/0/0/obes-phys-acti-diet-eng-2018-rep.pdf [Accessed 18 Oct. 2018].

Full Fact. (2018). 28% of 2-15 year olds in England estimated to be overweight or obese. [online] Available at: https://fullfact.org/health/childhood-obesity/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2018].

Nhs.uk. (2018). Obesity in children. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/news/2007/October/Pages/Obesityinchildren.aspx [Accessed 18 Oct. 2018].