Technical Paper 1:
Obesity in Australia: a need for urgent action
4.6.1 - The school setting
- 1 - Executive summary
2 - Obesity in Australia- 3 - Obesity prevention
4 - Potential initiatives- 4.1 - Reshaping the food supply towards lower risk products and pricing
- 4.2 - Food composition
- 4.3 - Food subsidies
- 4.4 - Protect children and others from inappropriate advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages
- 4.5 - Improve public education and information
- 4.6 - Reshape urban environments towards healthy options
- 4.7 - Strengthen, upskill and support primary health care and public health workforce to support people in making healthier choices
- 4.8 - Maternal and child health
- 4.9 - Close the gap for disadvantaged communities
- 4.10 - Build the evidence base, monitor and evaluate effectiveness of actions
- Conclusion
- References
- Addendum for October 2008 to June 2009
Schools are able to influence the nutrition and physical activity environment, and to educate children, families and the broader community about healthy lifestyles. Promotion of healthy eating in schools may be weakened by a high level of unhealthy foods and beverages available in school canteens, and the presence of soft drink and confectionery vending machines.[103] Recent Australian data indicate that children purchasing foods from school canteens had a higher energy intake from energy-dense foods than those who did not use the canteen.[103]
Evidence-based guidelines recommend ensuring that all school policies and the school environment help children and young people to maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet and be physically active. This includes policies relating to building layout and recreational spaces, catering (including vending machines) and the food and drink children bring into school, the curriculum (including physical education) and school travel plans (including provision for cycling).[1] The UK has recently announced that it will implement a ban on fizzy drink and junk food in school vending machines.[104] France banned vending machines in schools in 2005.[62]
The European Commission recently announced a European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children from 2009, with funds of €90 million annually for the purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools.[105]
This would be matched by national funds in Member States choosing to participate. The scheme is based on the analysis of existing national policies and expert consultations that demonstrated that the benefits of such a scheme can be enhanced if the provision of fruit is accompanied by awareness-raising and educational measures. It also requires participating states to set up national strategies in conjunction with public health and education authorities, and to involve industry and interest groups. The proposal will now go before the Council and European Parliament.
School communities support initiatives in schools that enable healthy eating and physical activity such as healthy breakfast and lunch programs removal of unhealthy foods from vending machines and walking school bus programs.