KEY POINTS:
The Government is set to announce changes to force schools to sell only healthy food on their premises.
The move would remove food items very high in sugar and saturated fats. Is this a good idea?
This forum debate has now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the topic.
Paul from South Auckland Concerned Parent
I agree that we must serve healthy foods in school but the Government endorsing this must be balanced with alternatives. I would suggest that healthy milk flavours and fruit be introduced to all schools immediately and would be made free to all students and a compulsory fitness programme be introduced every day for students plus education programmes that can be taken home so all members of the family can enjoy this saturated ability for a healthy community.At the moment the Health System cannot cope with the increase in health related incidents.At the moment with the increases of the cost of living it is financially viable to buy a pie and a fizzy drink for $1 each compared to a 2litre bottle of milk for $3.20 where Fonterra will again increase the price of milk.Fruit is expensive and to a family on a strict budget costs is the only factor they look at.I am amazed that a country that has so much dairy farms that the cost of milk is so high.I know that implementing this law will not affect the kids as the alternative of going down to the shops at lunch time to the local shop to purchase fries and pies and fizzy drinks will be the only decision that they can make.
anne cross
Get rid of mmp and the green party.Labour is going to go next election anyway so they won't be a problem for much longer. We are a socialist run country now. How we bring up our children is our business - most parents are responsible people.
Milan (Auckland Sth)
Even if it was ban from schools, children will end up going to the local shop anyways. Lucky for me, my children haven't brought any lunch from the tuckshop since last year. I intended to make lunch for them at home and never give money to my girls because there is no reason why they should have it. Parents need to take responsibility for their children's eating habits. It all start from home.
Astrid
I work in the school office of a primary school. We updated our menu on offer for school lunches this year and cut out pies. We offer a simple 6 choices and our local supermarket supplies the orders. We feel that a school is required to teach the children. We are not in the business of providing school lunches. What we offer is a convenience and if the government want to legislate then we will happily cut out the option, then it will be up to caregivers to organise their childrens lunches. The children are taught about healthy eating choices in the classroom. That is our job. Parents must follow through with providing for their children on the food front and take responsibilty! Schools should not have to bear the blame for an obese population.
Grafton
I don't think unhealthy foods should be banned from schools but there should at least be some healthy options and at the same price as the unhealthy foods. When I was at school a few years ago, we often didn't have food at home for lunches and our mother would give us $5 for lunch (obviously not the best situation but the one I'm sure many children experience). We would buy food at the tuck shop, but there was not one sandwich, salad or fruit to choose, only hotdogs, pies and sausage rolls. Thankfully we were all into sport so we didn't suffer too much from the terrible food. And for those wondering about hot healthy lunches, what about soup, or stirfry or quiche, all easy to make, cheap and healthy.
Sure parents should be the ones leading the way, but couldn't there at least be choice at the tuck shop if we are forced to buy from there?
Elizabeth Evans
Yes, I think schools who teach healthy eating habits should put their money where their mouths are and sell only healthy food. By the same token, food outlets at Parliament (e.g. Bellamys), should also ban unhealthy food and offer only healthy food. I also think that the Government should subsidise healthy food sold at school tuck shops so that students will see inexpensive healthy food purchased at school as an attractive option to junk food purchased at the local dairy on the way to school.
Room 29, Swanson Primary (Swanson, Waitakere City)
We have been discussing this issue during current events this morning, and we have some suggestions for people to consider. First, we think that if schools sold healthy food more cheaply, then some kids might be more likely to eat more healthily. At the moment, healthy food is too expensive. For example Sushi at our school costs $3.50, whereas a pie costs $1.50. We also think that the amount of money that is given to children for lunch needs to be limited, so that they are not as likely to buy junk on the way home. We also think that if schools want to sell rubbishy food, then it should be limited to one or two days so that they get used to eating other things.
Julie
My children attend school in Singapore. There is a canteen there selling everything from fried rice to pizza and everything in between. The best thing of all is that each student has a smart card. This serves as an identity card with their school photo on it but also as a cash card to make purchases from the canteen. I can top this up either at school or on-line by transferring money from my bank to the card. I can also set a daily allowance and restrict the purchase of certain foods or certain days to purchase foods. I can also see online how much they have spent each day. As it is, my children take a packed lunch each day and they use this only if they are staying after school for sports and need an afternoon snack. If however I decide they can have a treat once a term and buy lunch, I don't mind them buying pizza or a sausage roll as it isn't a daily or weekly occurrence. Our school has improved its selection of foods and banned all coke and other fizzy drinks and this was because the parents got involved and requested this. But beware, healthy food is more expensive! Education is the key to healthy living.
Anne (Auckland)
Schools should provide children with healthy food options but society should only be providing healthy options in every area. Children learn everything they know and do from adults and schools are also supposed to teach children how to live within adult society. It would be nice if they were taught to respect themselves and others. Adult society is not like that however. They are consuming products created and made by adults in a society ruled by and comprised of adults. For what possible reason would some of you demand of school principals to be 'role models' as if they were some different species? Punishing school principals, staff, and children for acting normally within society is not going to change things. Look to yourselves, this society, and school curriculums.
Virginia, USA
Now don't get me wrong, I love my meat pies, but I know how to moderate my eating. This is something many kids don't know how to do anymore. As a middle school (12-14yr olds) teacher in the US I see kids eating junk all the time. The problem is their parents are not modelling good eating habits. If we, as teachers and educators, model good eating habits and provide only healthy foods then our student's will eventually get the message and make better choices. If it were put to a vote I would totally support forcing schools to provide healthy foods. We are supposed to model good habits and social skills to our kids and eating is just another facet of that.
Father of one
I imagine many school boards are addicted to profits from junk food, so Government regulation is the only realistic option.
Rolly on OE (London)
Well for the majority of the forum comments I have to say bravo to those who are supporting this idea. This is a great common sense approach to what we all see as becoming a problem of almost epidemic proportions in our fair country. For the last 5 years or so we have seen an increase in the numbers of children who are overweight or obese and so often I have heard peers comment on why the government does not do something about it, well now they are! As a child who was grossly obese, all I can say is it's about time! Many parents may not actually realise but schools are responsible for acting as a guardian of children under their care during school hours and this move to help make New Zealand children healthier is well inside their jurisdiction. I know that if a child wants a pie or donut then they will buy one but they can wait until after school. Being in the UK I have seen the British government suggest a similar approach, even allowing celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in to see if he can make a difference and his trials have proven to improve attention in class. Come on New Zealand let's use our common sense and make our future generation's healthier eaters!
Bo§§ MáMá
I think schools should be there teaching them to read and write. We have enough children slipping through the system now. Seeing what they eat for lunch is up to the parents. The kids will leave the school and go to their closest food shop.
Jack
At our school, when you buy anything you get a free banana or apple. I think this is a great idea. Kids like food that's cheap, yummy and easy. I think all cafes/tuckshops in NZ should give free fruit with any purchase. All the students at my school eat it just because it's free, which is still a good thing. Also, making healthy food cheaper would help families a lot. Also having something along the lines of Subway subs or some kind of "choose your own ingredients for a sandwich" would be nice. Food is not the only factor causing obesity, it's the fact that exercise is starting to be uncommon. Students now days have more options in their daily lives like computers, TV, relationships, part-time jobs, phones etc. Its not that exercise is not cool, it's just that sitting around watching TV, playing computer is much easier.
Rachelle
What is the big deal? Just do it. If kids don't have any other choice, they will eat sandwiches and fruit instead of the junk they go for now. We are doing this to protect them in future years. Isn't it reason enough that we are seeing more younger kids with diabetes and obesity related problems? I agree that it will not solve all problems and families also need to be educated on eating right, but it's a positive stop forward.
Becx (Auckland)
I wonder how many people in favour of this ban would be happy if the Government then decided to inspect their pantry and impose the ban at home as well? I for one am sick and tired of being told how to feed my kids! We eat a balanced diet and once a week my daughter gets to buy her lunch at school. She usually buys a pie and cookie but I always send fruit as well. My only problem is that there are kids buying that type of thing every day. What are their parents thinking? Our school sells pies with a heart tick which is a start in the right direction. If they don't buy it at school they will get it else where in bigger portions and with less thought put into the fat content. Why doesn't the Government take GST off fruit and veges and other essentials like they do in Australia?
Mythily
Yes. Schools should introduce healthy food items and ban other unhealthy items including soft and fizzy drinks.
Miss Laaper - teacher
I'm a secondary school teacher, just new to the profession, and tell you what - my kids are completely different people after interval and lunch. The sugary junk they consume during breaks completely transforms their personalities, and there are really cool kids who turn into hyperactive maniacs or zombies as a direct result of what they've eaten moments before. I really believe a lot of the behavioural problems us teachers have to deal with would be significantly reduced if we reduced the availability of junk food/drink in our school, exercise or no exercise. I ask: if we trust our young adults to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing and take responsibility for themselves, why don't we sell cigarettes at the canteen as well? and save them a trip to the dairy.
Sarin Simpson
This is completely ridiculous. The Government has absolutely no madate whatsoever to tell me what I can or cannot eat in my lunch at school. They can educate me, but they have no moral or legal right to coerce me. This is right out of communist Russia. What will they try and regulate next?
Ice
I think all the people who say we need to let kids choose what they want are dreaming. It's us healthy people who have to pick up the bill and whine there are weight/fat related illnesses. Money spent on curing fat people should be spent on promoting healthy food so they don't get fat in the first place. This is a great move by the Government. When money is poured into curing these weight-related diseases it's the same people complaining as the ones who are against this new initiative. All I can say to them is, build a bridge - if you're not too fat to.
Westie Mama
Why not allow only healthy food on school premises. Schools are there to educate children, surely eating healthy food is just a part of the knowledge children need. They have physical education, why not educate them to eat correctly to support their learning and physical education and activity? Schools should be a one stop shop for kids where they learn the 'social' skills as well as the technical and knowledge skills they will need to live their own lives well.
Madeleine
If the business of schools is education, then why not ditch the provision of food in tuck shops altogether? Schools are under no obligation to feed children - that's their parents' job. Students should not be relying on a tuck shop for their lunch each day anyway, but instead bringing food from home that they have had a role in preparing themselves. There could be less litter around a school in terms of wrappers and packaging as fruits are among the easiest to-go items for a packed lunch, and people can go somewhere to sit and eat rather than be eating in transit from the tuck shop. Families are also financially much better off buying things in bulk from supermarkets than paying inflated tuck shop prices. It requires some organisation and planning ahead, but as supermarkets are often open for longer each day than they are closed, I'm sure most families could make it work. Perhaps they should be forced to try.
Worried
Now that the Government is going to tell school children what to eat from the school tuck shop to prevent obesity how long will it be before they are legislating on telling parents what to feed their children or banning fat people from operations until they have attained a certain weight? Don't laugh this is the same government that legislated to prevent parents smacking children. I think the term is state control over everyone's lives.
Albert
We educate the young that this is a free country, they have the freedom to do what they want as long as they are not doing crime, yet we take away their freedom to choose what they want to eat. Are we setting a good example for them?
If the media won't do it, who will?
There are two very powerful influences over our children's eating. 1: the availability and convenience of junk food. 2: the 'thin is in' ideal promoted by the media.
This discrepancy between promoting 'thin is good' and 'junk food is good' creates a problem for students who begin to feel the pull in both directions - food and body weight has a greater influence on us than we care to think. For those who struggle with this discrepancy, there may be issues with incredibly low self-esteem, body image, disordered eating - and the worst of it - eating disorders (which might I add are increasing in prevalence at an alarming rate amongst our young people). If the media won't stop promoting the thin ideal, then something has to be done about the availability of unhealthy foods. Personally, I wish that I had been forced to make healthier choices as a kid/teenager. At least then I may have developed a better taste for healthy food. Healthy eating habits are developed during the primary schools years, and after that can be difficult to adjust. Now I am an overweight university student who really struggles to bring herself to maintain healthy eating habits, and who was one of those kids that ate unhealthy foods in school - primarily due to the price. I am not trying to prove a causal direction here, but I am saying that in a world where our kids are being taught two totally different messages, they need a little help to choose the healthy road.
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