KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Nickey (auckland)
Seriously does the government really think this will help? Of course not. Kids might not be allowed out of the school grounds during school so they might not have a choice but to eat the healthy foods, but hello what about before and after school, I can tell you I chose the pie and Coke every time over a salad sandwich and water get real Labour seems like another pathetic attempt to get a few more votes before they are gone.
Natasha (Auckland)
I would like to know if the government in their infinite wisdom will bring down the price of the healthy foods, so the schools can charge a decent amount to the parents of these children, that are buying the healthy options. Simply a pie is $1.00, healthy sandwiches, which yes my 8 year old daughter does prefer anyway, costs anywhere from $2-3. Many parents simply cannot afford the prices that some tuck shops charge for the healthy items, so they send them along for a pie instead! This ludicrous ban is just going to have hungry children in the classroom. Make fruit & veges GST exempt and then I am sure you will find families can afford to feed their children healthily at home as well as at school and then we may start winning the fight against obesity.
Lauren (Western Springs College)
By banning all fatty foods sure you are creating a more healthy atmosphere for us, but I personally walk to Westmere bakery or roast shop and buy food just purely because at the bakery I can get a really nice filled roll or get a nice hot chicken roast lunch. The filled roll costing $3 or the roast costing $7.50 Sure the roast might not be the most "healthy choice" I could make, but walking up to the roast shop in my study period or lunch (as I am allowed to do as I am 7th form) gets me a good 40 mins round trip of exercise including walking up a hill. In that roast lunch, I am getting important complex carbos from the potatoes and kumara, protein from the chicken and that small amount of fat that actually helps your body process the food. For all those wondering, I am a size 10, Do no exercise except for walking to the dairy and have 5 per cent body fat. I challenge all you parents to eat the "healthy alternatives" from any tuck shop and see if you would want to eat it every day mon-fri for 5 years, too many tuck shop operators do not want to put too much effort into making a new healthy item everyday.
Paul (Wellywood)
Well I must say this is going too far once again. Whilst at school both myself and my mates had no problems eating fatty foods as we usually threw a ball around at lunch or something and that managed to keep the weight off, Quite obviously kids get fat at home, not a school. So dont punish students for going to school. Then theres the "politicians eat fatty foods too" , the answer: "So? So does the rest of the world believe it or not"
Ross Forbes
The pathetic reaction of many principals and their organisations to the new national guidelines for food in school canteens is unbelievable. Saturated fats and high levels of sugar are up there with tobacco smoke as serious health hazards. In schools, teachers act in the place of parents and good parents offer healthy foods to their children. Rather than spuriously bleating on about imposition of additional responsibility they should get on with it and work with organisations such as the Heart Foundation on stocking their school canteens with low fat and low sugar foods and drinks. I write as a former primary principal and one time appointment to a Post-Primary Principals' Council.
Rosemary
Opponents of this scheme say that children will just buy junk food "en route" to school. This will be possible for those who walk to school, (and who therefore exercise regularly). Those who are driven to school in their parents' 4WDs will not have this opportunity unless the parents organise themselves five minutes earlier in the morning. Am I right in assuming this is unlikely to happen?
Georgina
What parent in their right mind would be against this? I would like to think that I will be a responsible parent and encourage my children to eat healthy live food, however I am not so naive to think that they will never stop at the local dairy or supermarket on their way to school for a less nutritious treat. I applaud the Government for taking this step. What better way to support the parents that do try to encourage a healthy lifestyle for their children. (Currently healthier food options are obviously very limited in schools). It also sends the right message to all - you are what you eat. We are not controlling their decision making. It is not like they will not have access to less nutritious food. They will however have a greater choice and be reminded every time they visit their school tuck shop that we do in fact encourage healthy eating in this country.
Tania
I can not believe this. I as a child was able to buy a pie, a doughnut, an ice-block for my school lunch once a week. This was a treat for me. I am 72kg and 5.7", by no means overweight. I have two boys, and they have been brought up on a healthy diet, but are not banned from pies, sausage rolls, etc. Instead of being told what we can and can't eat, the Government should be more vigilant about the extent of exercise in schools, there is practically none. No wonder we have fat children in schools, they do nothing. In the weekends they watch TV, so start pushing them back into sports, instead of pushing this nonsense of what we can and can't eat. I hope schools tell the Government where to get off.
Alan Wilkinson
NZ - a nation of zombies who cannot think for themselves or live their own lives without someone to make every decision for them. And we wonder why we have problems. Teach kids to make their own healthy lunches. Why on earth are they buying from tuck shops every day? And if they are not, why on earth does it matter if they buy a pie now or then? The whole thing is moronic beyond belief.
Leslee
Shouldn't adults look at themselves before the kids? Kids are a by-product of their parents. Fat parents - fat kids. Just look at the state of our politicians, health workers, most of all our police, etc.
Anne (Auckland)
It isn't about whether healthy food is a great idea - of course it is. The real problem is that people are consistently taught not to respect themselves. It is proven that health rates decline in direct proportion to the degree of control which an individual perceives they have over their own life. Ours is diminishing daily!
Parents are not at home to feed children properly any more. They are all out working - especially the solo parents - to make ends meet (and often not able to). Schools are struggling to finance their activities any way they can. All individuals in the country are taught that their health doesn't matter because the health system doesn't even come close to serving health needs and standards have dropped horribly. Further - our universities churn out graduates in all sorts of areas including marketing. Most of it for products which are completely unnecessary and not necessary or good for anyone. You applaud the graduates, especially if they are your children. Which of you has the principle to insist on the country living by healthy human principles in your part of the world/life/job? Are we going to choose to live in a real community or are we going to continue with the 'dog-eat-dog', 'make a profit at any (or anyone's) cost' environment which has been created?
Ex-tuckshopper
People who support banning food from tuckshops obviously haven't been at school for a very long time. Going to the tuckshop for me then was a treat. One thing noticeable when they started introducing healthy food was that it was a lot more expensive. $2 for a pie or $4.50 for a filled roll? It should be a Tui ad. Why don't we advocate compulsory sport for under-16s? It's a fact that exercise is a much better way to fight obesity than "healthy eating". Or if there was a government subsidy so that healthy food could be as cheap as unhealthy food? And where is the healthy hot food? If you've spent your day running around in a school uniform in winter recently you would fully understand why a hot pie is so much more attractive than an overpriced lettuce stuffed filled roll!
Ian Morine
I don't know what all the fuss is about on the subject of healthy food in schools. It seems completely logical to me. If we want healthier children, and therefore a healthier population, and spending less on obesity problems in the future then we must insist on healthier food in schools as one step towards this goal. For goodness sake people, stop being so paranoid about the Government telling us what is good for us. Obviously the general population is not capable of making these decisions for themselves, otherwise in this instance, we wouldn't have an obesity problem in New Zealand in the first place. There seems to be a proportion of the population that is not capable of guiding their own children in the right direction, therefore the health sector must step in and do that job for them. Get over it!
Bridget (Tirau, South Waikato)
Parents in New Zealand need to be aware of what they are feeding their children and what they are buying at school canteens. There are many solutions to this problem and we need to pick one that works for everyone and the kids are happy with.
NZ Mum (Hastings)
I think its due time that the Government started realising that what we eat affects us. Contrast that though with the Ministry of Health's 'additives' booklet listing what the 'numbers' are in our foods and you get the spin that they are only included if necessary. A visit to www.fedupwithfoodadditives.com will dispense with the notion that many of them are not beneficial.
Grant
Food choice at school should not be legislated - it should not be necessary! What is wrong with school BoTs? This is a no-brainer. Pies etc should no more be available at tuck shops than cigarettes, drugs and porn (all of which would find a ready market with kids if they were given half a chance). Fat kids these days are a disgrace to our society and will rapidly become a major cost to it. Parents need to get off their backsides and make their kids do the same. What about double PE at school (or is that also not the responsibility of teachers?).
D Z Gunn
If teachers are there to educate, to free up the minds of their pupils, is the acceptance of fast food in schools as a necessary evil or even a principle of free choice (although with the heavy weighting of advertising I wouldn't think there was much free choice in the equation) really compatible with those aims? As an ex-teacher with many lunch time duties under my belt, I can say that the typical result of a rubbish lunch on my pupils was not a pretty sight in the afternoon! Can't we at least make some effort to try something a bit different and more sustaining and health giving for our children?
Noel Fuller
While teaching I was well aware of the adverse affect of junk food from the school tuck shops on student behaviour as were many other teachers. I heard of schools supplying soup and sandwiches, before school as well, noticing improved behaviour and learning. Fighting obesity is a minor issue compared to gain in learning and behaviour with good food. I for one resented those tuck shops out of which schools made money for pet projects. Some schools therefore have to be leaned on to do better. Alas many parents take the easy way by providing the children with junk or money but at least schools can set a better example in what they provide. I welcome this initiative.
Empty nester (Auckland)
Why would anyone complain about this? Or about a law restricting physical abuse of children? It boggles the mind. As an ex-teacher, I know that children cannot function well at school on a diet of junk food and too much sugar. Let's teach kids to eat well and congratulate a government that is prepared to lead on these child-friendly issues and do what's right for our kids.
I agree, though, that diet soft drinks should be banned. They are unhealthy, addictive, cause weight probelms, and many other symptoms including seizures.
JG
While I support healthy food choices in school tuck shops, it isn't up to the Government to take on parental responsibility. They would be better off ensuring healthy food is less expensive and therefore available to all. For example, it costs less for a two litre bottle of soft drink now than a 2 litre bottle of milk. Mandatory food standards in tuck shops is really the very least they can do. It takes no effort or expense on their part and is therefore no real contribution. Children will just shop on their way to school. This is merely a smoke cloud on the Governments part.
Bungle
Utterly ridiculous. Let fat people get fat but begin fat-person advertisements in the same mould as the smokers ones. Although barring them from inside bars could be a bit extreme - at this stage.
North Shore City
It's about time a firm stand is taken on common sense issues, if parents are unable or unwilling to give guidance and healthy direction to their offspring as part of their job as parents then new decisions at an official level need to be taken.
Liam
I'm a fifth former. Every morning on the way to school, I pass the local supermarket, and the place is swarming with our students. I'd estimate there were a good fifty of us there at half-past eight this morning. The school has tried to stop us several times - going as far as sending a teacher over to stop us entering the supermarket one morning. And yet the unpopularity of the new health-food oriented tuck shop is such that we keep going regardless.
It's ludicrous to think that we're being robbed of such a simple freedom, just because a few ill-disciplined individuals don't bother to exercise. If they want to stop people dying young, then why don't we ban driving, smoking, and everything deemed to be potentially fatal while we're at it?
Till then, I'll continue to make my daily stop at Foodtown. I'll smile and say to myself "Try and stop me now, Darth Helen", when I unscrew the lid on my bottle of Coca Cola tomorrow morning.
Ravi
For those that are against this, I challenge you to try eating food from a school tuck shop for a week and see what you think and whether you feel that food is appropriate for your children on an ongoing basis.
Ken Wortelhock
The Greens' two Sues, Bradford and Kedgeley, are two of Nature's Scolds.
Do they ever smile?
Peter
The easiest way to solve this 'problem' would be for us all to stop having children. Then Hellen & Co will have their wish granted - no more obese kids, no further need for schools and school teachers. Hey Presto! Problem solved.
Simon James (Henderson)
Can 18-year-olds buy alcohol? It's legal surely, so why not sell it at the school tuck shop, and while you're at it, make that cigarettes as well. It staggers me how we have a media that is attacking the governance of schools instead of investigating the motives behind the big corporations pedalling their junk.
Deepthi
I believe that unhealthy foods should be banned from schools so that students are aware from a young age that these edibles are not encouraged. It will also make unhealthy food items seem as "treats" if they are only consumed on occasion, else consuming unhealthy food can become habit-forming. The reason for banning the unhealthy food items must be explained to the students, however, so that they do not feel that this decision is not a form of punishment for whatever reason.
I fully support banning unhealthy food items from schools as we currently are facing a New Zealand wide obesity epidemic which is cropping up at ages earlier than we think. This epidemic is largely due to the increased consumption of unhealthy food (as well as unhealthy habits). The increased accessibility to unhealthy food at schools is driving this epidemic forward, hence I think banning such food items at this stage in students' lives will reduce the risks of encountering future problems such as obesity, heart disease, strokes and so on. I emphasise that the reasons for banning these foods must be made absolutely clear to students so that they can continue this trend.
Rachel (Rosehill College, Papakura)
I think that they shouldn't stop selling pies and sausages rolls etc, because of all the time you spend waiting in the lines and by the time you get your food lunch and interval is over so you don't have time to eat. Where pies and sausages rolls etc, are easy and quick to eat so that's why they should still sell them at tuck shops. Do us all a favour and stop kids from getting detentions for eating in class what they couldn't eat at breaks
Keith
New Zealand, look at yourself. You've argued for the right to beat up your kids, now you'll shortly be arguing for the right to make your kids fat. Sometimes mother (Helen) knows best.
Rick Court
Why does this Government have to regulate on virtually everything? Surely we must at some stage take responsibility for our own actions? Don't schools have enough controls on them already? Aren't staff already bogged down with paper work and other requirements which they say seriously affect the time left for them to teach? And won't most kids just use their money to fill up at the dairy en route to school if they can't buy what they want at the tuck shop?
Crunchie, (North Shore)
What people choose to eat is a contributor to natural selection in nature. If people have a propensity to eat unhealthy food it stands that they are more likely to perish sooner on average than someone who eats a healthy balanced diet. There are a number of serious issues with any Government stepping into people's personal lives and controlling their decision making. People to weak to control what they eat will live a longer life with a close correlation to abnormally high health costs. Historically nature weeded these individuals out much earlier. I say, let them eat all they want and let nature will take care of them as they deserve!
Mum of 6 (5 at school)
As a parent, I think it would be great if the options for school tuck shops were all healthy. Hooray! What a great way to have the "treat" of buying lunch to be a step in the right health direction as well! Kids will eat healthy food if given the chance. But what chance have they had so far? Pie vs filled roll is not necessarily a fair contest. I say give them a chance to choose between some tasty, wholesome and nutrious options and we'll be away laughing. By the way, we survived a similar regime at our wonderful local kindy where unhealthy snacks were discouraged, and we were all (both parents and children) the better off for it. Yes, it may be a bit of "nanny state". But at least it is a nanny who cares enough to help us all out with the nutrition of our kids.
Bill (Whangarei) an overworked educator
This is another example of how the over zealous PC bunch of nannas in the beehive think. Here's another problem, let's make the schools fix it, along with teaching: a second language, careers from year 7, drama, stranger danger, values, sex, smoking, traffic safety not to mention the core subjects. When will they realise that schools alone cannot fix the ills of society, where are the parents? There is an old African proverb which says it takes a whole village to raise a child, and there is something wrong if the village 'Elders' don't trust the villagers to raise their children. If we are continually "legislated at" we will breed a society unable to make any rational decision based on experience, collective knowledge or even commonsense. We will be like overly dependent offspring who turn to mummy for every decision. For the sake of building an independent and resourceful society, cut the apron strings, let parents be parents and let us make our own mistakes. Perhaps we should ban dancing, sports, international travel, TV watching, rap music and a plethora of other things which might put people at risk of becoming independent thinkers or even enjoying themselves.
Old School (Auckland)
The real winners from this bizarre policy will be the dairy owners, fish shops. delicatessens and bakeries on school routes.Anyone with any knowledge of the behaviours of school students know that it is common for children to spend all their lunch money on junk food and drink at the shops on the way to school.It is not uncommon for students to arrive a school finishing a pie and having the largest bottle of popular fizz for the day.What will happen to the parents who deliver fish and chips and so on to school? Are they going to be turned away at the gate? And who is going to monitor lunch boxes? Are children with "unhealthy " lunches going to be singled out for attention or discrmination? This is the Nanny State gone berserk.
Andrew Villazon
I think that this is a step in the right direction and hopefully a sign of things to come with regards to obesity.To suggest that this is more 'nanny-state' politics ignores what parents and schools are up against when it comes to fighting obesity. The food industry spends hundreds of millions a year on advertising to bombard and brainwash kids to chose food that has no place in any human diet. When the food industry is working so hard to undermine parents and kids ability to chose healthy food it makes sense that the government steps in and regulates, after all it has a duty to look after its people.
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