Health groups want to sell heart checks, not chocolate

Schools should stop selling fattening chocolate and raise money by promoting heart check-ups for parents instead, say two health groups.

Instead of bringing home $2 bars of chocolate to sell to allcomers to raise money for school computers and adventure playgrounds, children would give their parents tickets to be signed by their GP when they have a cardiovascular check-up.

The parents or other adults would pay the going rate for the check-up and the school would be sent up to $20 for each one from the scheme's financial backers - the Heart Foundation, primary health group ProCare Network Auckland and a Rotary club.

The scheme is intended to reinforce the healthy messages in the school curriculum and comes with posters, leaflets and other health-related promotional materials and activities.

The foundation knows it has a tough job in trying to sell the not-so-sweet fundraising idea, but has made a start.

Five schools in Auckland have joined the pilot programme, including Royal Oak Primary, which yesterday sent a letter and five check-up tickets home with each of its 611 pupils.

The foundation's cardiac care manager, Stewart Eadie, said that since one third of New Zealand children were obese or overweight, selling chocolate to raise money for schools was inappropriate.

"By selling chocolate you are sending the wrong message."

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the cause of 40 per cent of all deaths. Since many heart attacks and strokes are preventable, the foundation promotes risk assessments, especially for people with a family history of cardiovascular disease.

Royal Oak principal Grant Manly is keen on the new scheme.

"Promoting healthy eating and promoting children's fitness and to link that with fundraising is a far better alternative for schools to consider," he said.

The school's parents group organised chocolate fundraising, but it comprised only a small part of all fundraising, which provided things the Government did not pay for.

He said whether to dispense with chocolate fundraising now that the Heart Foundation scheme had started would be a decision for the board of trustees in consultation with the school's community.