Chips are down for unhealthy Irish schoolkids, says report
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Monday June 25 2007
AN alarming picture of the poor health of Ireland's school children has been revealed in a confidential new Government report.
It shows the number of overweight children in Ireland has trebled over the past decade and may be rising at a rate of 10,000pc. It also showed that fruit and veg intake by secondary school students has decreased in the last few years.
Teenage girls are most vulnerable to body weight concerns and "fatness phobias" which increase their risk of developing eating disorders.
But many teenage boys rely heavily on high-fat and high-sugar snack foods, leading to an imbalance in their nutrient intakes.
Other findings, which show that poor eating habits are a feature of the adolescent lifestyle, include:
* 15pc of students skip breakfast and/or lunch.
* Some 42pc of female transition-year students have iron deficiencies.
* A quarter of 15-17-year-old girls and 17pc of 12-14 year olds are on a weight-reducing diet while a further 30pc of girls report needing to lose weight.
Advice
The document, prepared for the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health, will form the basis for guidelines for the country's 740 secondary schools.
They are now going to be asked to join the fight on fat and eating disorders among the nation's school children.
The draft guidelines, which will be finalised at a meeting in Dublin today, and have been seen by the Irish Independent, list healthy options which should be included in tuck shops and canteens.
For instance, schools are told not to offer chips more than once a week.
They should offer potatoes in a variety of ways - mashed, baked, oiled as well as chips. If making chips, schools should remember that thick-cut absorb less fat and straight-cut absorb less fat than crinkle-cut.
Bottled water (preferably still) should be offered in vending machines as should a choice of at least two diet drinks.
All post primary schools should have drinking water freely available, suggest the guidelines which will be available to schools in the autumn. They also give advice on how to deal with teens on diets.
"This phenomenon must be acknowledged and addressed when dealing with this age group, as dieting during adolescence could well have long-term implications for women's health and well-being".
The report also shows girls have a calcium intake which is half that of boys and should be encouraged to choose milk as a drink with meals or snacks.
They also need to be aware of the importance of folic acid and should include bread as a regular food with most meals. "Folate has been linked with a reduction in Coronary Heart Disease and so is also an important nutrient for boys."
The guidelines say that schools should try to make an effort to positively affect the everyday eating choices and habits of young people.
The key messages to get across to prevent obesity are:
* Promote an active lifestyle - this means a bare minimum 60 minutes per day of moderate activity.
* Promote the intake of fruit and vegetables.
* Reduce the intake of energy dense, micronutrient-poor foods - such as packaged sweets and various savoury snacks.
* Restrict the intake of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
The document was prepared by a representative group chaired by John Lahiff from the Support Service for Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) in schools.
It includes a step-by-step approach to achieving a meaningful healthy eating policy. This should begin with setting up a health eating working group made up of parents, students and staff, focusing on providing healthy alternatives.
- John Walshe
