Of school kitchens and a ‘healthy’

Many state schools are not giving their pupils decent food. This is clear from a research carried out by Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Naim of the medical college at King Saud University, as reported in this paper.
The scandal is made bigger because pupils are being overcharged for the rubbish they are being given. Too often the food on offer has little or no nutrition. In particular, says Al-Naim, it is lacking in calcium. It is also clearly unappealing to young appetites. Why should they be paying over the odds for unhealthy pap when they can get better food at cafes outside the school? And putting a good meal inside themselves before classes often makes kids late. A deeply unsatisfactory situation all-around.
Al-Naim’s research focuses on the high incidence of tooth caries and also obesity. He blames the food prices in school canteens. There is little doubt that he is right. But lousy school food is not the only culprit. The Kingdom generally has an unacceptably high rate of obesity. From this stems a growing incidence of diabetes and heart-related diseases. Too many Saudis have a love affair with fast food and sugary fizzy drinks. Some food scientists claim that a single can of cola has more than the required daily sugar intake. As the US documentary “Supersize Me” made horrifically clear, a regular diet of burgers and fries causes catastrophic weight, and by extension health problems.
If their parents make a habit of dining in or picking up meals from fast food eateries, why should their kids know any different? Adverts, about having a healthy diet, pale into insignificance against the slick and clever campaigns for fast food. These are often targeted at children. The ad agencies have long appreciated the effectiveness of “pester power.”
The problem is clear. If school kitchens are serving up food lacking in goodness but full of colorings and preservatives, all they are providing is unhealthy options. Given the crucial importance of bone formation and general healthy growth in juveniles, this is a colossal failure on the part of the education system.
Surely school should be the one place where a child is obliged to enjoy a healthy diet? There is no shortage of money in the primary and secondary stages of Saudi education. But it is clear that there is a lack of vision and imagination. School refectories ought to be the one place where a child is guaranteed to enjoy nutritious and healthy food. Just as they should be giving their pupils a well-rounded education, so schools should also be the one place where it is certain kids will receive a healthy diet. When they get home, they may be returning to the normal junk food that their families enjoy. But at school, their bodies have been given the chance to ingest proper food.
It is not rocket science. The budgets are there. And there are plenty of skilled nutritionists who can advise school managements and train kitchen staff. In addition, it is far better that schools cut the cost of pupils’ meals to encourage kids to eat the right sort of food. It may even be that the Ministry of Education should give consideration to providing all school food for free.
There is another good reason for decent school meals. There is strong scientific evidence that food affects behavior. Hyperactivity in kids, which can lead to frustration and bad conduct in and out of the classroom, can be ascribed to poor diet. The caffeine in many types of cola can, for instance, “wire” a child every bit as too much coffee can affect its parents.
The bottom line is that a disruptive child, with poor concentration, runs the risk of low educational attainment. Equally concerning is the effect of that individual on other pupils in the class. Junk food, in or out of the school canteen is a lose-lose situation. But it really does not have to be this way. It is time we attacked obesity in the one place where there can be absolute control over diet. There are too many grossly fat nine- or ten-year-old kids waddling around toward early medical problems and probably an early grave.
The Ministry of Education has the power to address this rising problem by starting off young lives with good and nourishing food. Dr. Al-Naim’s research is a wake-up call. It should not be ignored. The ministry should act and act soon. By root and branch reform of school meals it can produce a win-win situation.

Source : Arab News