Schools 'must exercise hard line on soft drinks sales'
It showed many schools have tuck shops selling soft drinks and sugary products. In one school in the west, students bought 1,000 bags of crisps and 500 Mars bars each week.
The surveys were carried out by Redbranch Human Performance Ltd, which provides a free health and lifestyle consultancy service for schools. Director David Egan said its surveys showed students consumed a lot of processed food and sugary drinks, which affected academic performance and behaviour.
"Our surveys also suggest that more than half of secondary school children have a TV in their bedroom, watching on average two-three hours per day. Some children reported watching seven hours of TV per day. Teachers often tell us that they are amazed at how unfit children are, and this is hardly surprising," he said.
The consultancy generates cash through sponsorship and sourcing healthy foods and water where required. Its programme is aimed at helping young people make informed choices about their lifestyles.
It suggests that:
� Vending machines selling soft drinks and flavoured drinks be eliminated from schools.
� Water fountains or water vending machines be installed.
� Schools should have tight control over drinks sold, which should be limited to water or milk (preferably low-fat).
� Advertising for soft drinks should be eliminated in schools.
A leaflet from the firm, 'Soft Drinks - Hard Facts' says scientific studies have found regular soft drink consumption has an adverse effect on bone health.
Mr Egan said: "As our nation has become wealthier, our lifestyles have deteriorated radically . . . Childhood obesity levels are at an all time high, and cardiovascular disease, which begins in childhood, kills four in every 10 Irish adults.
"Some of the children we have surveyed consume up to 2.5 litres of cola per day, and some schools sell as many as 1,000 packets of crisps per week. We know that in some second level schools in Co Clare more than 40pc of children come to school with no breakfast at all, instead relying on poor quality snack foods. This is a highly significant statistic, since lack of breakfast has been shown to affect mood, concentration, the capacity for mental arithmetic, and short-term memory."
- John WalsheEducation Editor
