Govt attacks school menu to fight obesity

Studies reveal that one out of every four Indian schoolchildren in the 14 to 17 age group is obese

NEW DELHI: Your child’s school may soon have to exercise tighter control on what he or she is imbibing — in the in-house canteen. Fizzy drinks that fatten could be drained out of the school system to make way for authentic Indian, and more wholesome, choices such as nimbu paani and chaas. The change in the menu has been recommended by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which was alarmed by the regular reports on growing obesity among children.

The commission issued rules on “healthy eating” to schools across the country. The initiative is in line with Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss’s recent announcement of a ban on junk food from schools.

“There has been a significant increase in obesity among schoolchildren, with one out of every four kids being obese in the 14 to 17 age group,” said Sandhya Bajaj, a NCPCR member. “Studies have also revealed that addiction to unhealthy food has resulted in growth-related problems such as disproportionate increase in height and weight.”

A recent study by Dr Anoop Misra, a WHO expert in childhood obesity, had found that 28% of children in the sample group were obese.

According to the NCPCR guidelines, government as well as private schools should prevent the sale of junk food in their canteens and must encourage parents to pack healthy food. In fact, the commission also wants schools to keep a check on the food that students bring from their homes. “Schools must assess if parents are following what we are trying to preach,” Bajaj said.

The commission has proposed that all schools have visiting dieticians to monitor food quality.

“We discourage consumption of junk food, but we can’t check what children consume when they are not at home,” said Savita Dhand, a Delhi resident with a school-going child. “When the guidelines are in place, we hope that harmful foods will be kept away from our children.”