KEY POINTS:
Elijah Wilkes' eyes have been opened by a new obesity-busting programme set to hit classrooms across the country.
"I never really thought lollies would be that bad for you," the 11-year-old says.
"I've started to get a little bit more into sweetcorn, which I never liked. I still don't like salads though."
Elijah and fellow pupils at Christchurch's decile one Aranui Primary School have been trialing the Food for Thought programme, which will soon be in more than 100 schools acrossthe country.
Funded by supermarket giant Foodstuffs, the programme provides for nutritionists to visit schools and work with teachers to educate children about food and nutrition.
The programme is aimed at combating the obesity epidemic in which one in three New Zealand school children are either overweight or obese.
Pupils also get to visit a supermarket and get practical advice about choosing the right foods.
Aranui School teacher Lisa Oliver said children at the school came froma low socio-economic area and had little awareness of healthy food choices.
"It's very important to give them that knowledge that they can take back to their families and share with their mums and dads, and ask to have healthier food.
"They don't know about variety and how to be smart about shopping."
Green Party MP Sue Kedgley, who helped launch Food for Thought yesterday, said it was one of the most important initiatives that the food industry had undertaken.
FOR SOME, FAT IS GOOD
NEW YORK - Children burn more body fat than adults, underscoring their need for a little extra fat in their diets, say researchers.
Though many adults try to limit their fat intake for the sake of their hearts and waistlines, experts recommend that parents allow more leeway in their children's diets.
Adults are advised to get anywhere from 20 per cent to 35 per cent of their daily calories from fat, while the recommendation for teenagers and children older than 3 is 25 per cent to 35 per cent.
Babies and toddlers need even more fat - 30 per cent to 40 per cent of daily calories. The reason for the extra fat allowance is that fast-growing bodies need adequate calories and nutrients of all kinds for proper development. The study, published online by Nutrition Journal, supports these recommendations.
Researchers at the University of Delaware had 10 adults and 10 children follow a weight-maintenance diet for three days, and then measured each participant's metabolic rate during sedentary daily activities.
- Reuters
