Govt worried about fat kids
07/07/2005 09:35  - (SA)  

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Delia du Toit, Beeld

Johannesburg - The Gauteng department of education plans to draw up a series of guidelines to regulate the eating habits of schoolchildren and in this way curb obesity in the young.

This includes guidelines on what foods tuckshops at schools should sell.

From next month, Gauteng tuckshops must provide lists of their stock to the department, said Neo Rakwena, manager of this project.

''The education department and the health department will then estimate the average child's nutritional needs and suggest what items should be sold in tuckshops.''

But the owners of tuckshops say the matter is not that simple. The problem was getting the children to follow these guidelines, said Tryna Schutte, tuckshop owner at the Overkruin high school.

''Children still eat what they want and prefer not to buy healthy food.'' Schutte said she already stocked healthy sandwiches, juice and yoghurt, but the schoolchildren did not buy them. ''I make a loss and merely throw away the healthy food.

''It's a farce, because tuckshops have to sell healthy food even though the children still eat takeaway meals at home.''

Wendy Williams, manager of the tuckshop at St Mary's Diocesan School for Girls in Pretoria, said children at this school preferred healthy food. The trick was to stock and sell fewer unhealthy items so that the schoolchildren did not have the option of unhealthy eating.

''The schoolchildren enjoy items such as frozen yoghurt and fruit juice. They are even buying more rye bread now and enjoying that too.''

Peter Lombard, general manager of Weight Watchers South Africa, said these guidelines were a step in the right direction. ''It is also important to exercise. Even if children just run around with their dogs, that would help.''

Lombard said children would eat healthy food if they were taught to enjoy it. ''There are easy steps to follow which can improve children's eating habits. For example, simply replace high-fat or high-sugar items with a low-fat option and that would help a lot.''

Other ideas are to eat smaller portions, but more regularly during the day. Even bedtime could play a role. ''Don't eat your supper too late, preferably not after 19:00,'' advised Lombard.

- Beeld

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