Some governments are raising the alarm that kids sneak out during lunchtime to feast on fast food. The initiative taken by most governments is to usher schools to include policies that can restrict them to playgrounds at lunchtime. This policy has been included as a measure to tackle childhood obesity through healthy living.
Shopkeepers at Bolton, United Kingdom believe that children are defying these policies and flocking in large numbers to feed on fatty junk foods like –
sausage rolls and muffins
in the morning itself.
Bolton bagged the 16th position for the maximum number of takeaways and sweetshops located nearby secondary schools. This survey was revealed by the School Food Trust which brought into examination about 118 local educational authorities in England.
The survey also revealed that Bolton had 30 fast food outlets for every high school compared to the national average of 23.
Though some like the Westhoughton and Withins High schools have restricted children from going out to eat during lunchtime, there is a large section that manage to sneak out to the nearby fast food joints. Newsagents from Bolton road claim that these kids claim that they eat out during lunchtime because the prices are too high in their school canteens.
Westhoughton has about 12 food outlets near its premises and Withins has about 6. The shopkeepers cannot give up their business because it is their only source of income. However, there are some who are trying to replace the junk food for kids with healthy foods like –
cereal bars, fruit juice, etc
.
Newsagents from Bolton assert that kids run across field and jump over walls to reach these fast food joints. A more disturbing revelation was that kids grabbed unhealthy takeaways either from these local shops or from Mc Donald’s before entering school in the morning itself.
What can schools do?
- Provide varieties and healthy snacks in school canteens
- Reduce the price of foods available in the school canteens
Restricting their movements will neither teach them healthy eating nor will it be of much help for them, as evidences from the Bolton road already suggest.
The School Food Trust claims that the need to keep children within the school premises either at lunchtime or otherwise does not only ensure healthy eating but also keeps them safe from any untoward events or accidents outside the school premises.
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