Ban on Fast Food Deliveries to Schools

The Child’s Obesity Strategy called for a ban on fast food takeaway deliveries to schools and are calling for new initiative as film-style classifications on unhealthy food, plus a loyalty card to reward healthy food choices. Many ideas are given by young people to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic. The statistics show that one in five 10-11 year olds are obese. The Government’s childhood obesity strategy has been promised this summer but young people have been asked for their views on the issue.

Possible Causes Of Childhood Obesity

Three quarters of UK parents are moving to ban these deliveries. As per the report published by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), the Youth Health Movement and Slimming World point the finger at the temptation of fast food and unclear food labeling for the childhood obesity epidemic. The findings from a roundtable workshop involving 19 young people, aged 13-17, and follow-up survey of more than 500 children include:

• Nearly half of young people (48%) blame fast food as the companies or brands most at fault for childhood obesity.

• A quarter (25%) has ordered takeaway to their school and more than half have ordered by their smartphone.

• More than 4 in 5 (82%) think food manufacturers are misleading people when they provide fat, salt and sugar for single servings rather than for the entire product.

• More than 2 in 5 (42%) can walk from their school in under 2 minutes to those businesses selling unhealthy food.

Steps That Could Be Taken

A number of steps were identified by the young people that could be taken by food manufacturers, retailers, Government and others to help tackle this obesity, such as:

• These firms should be banned from delivering to schools.

• Nutrition information should be provided for young people, not just for adults.

• Amount of teaspoons of sugar in a soft drink should be displayed on the packaging.

• Nutrition information for the whole product, not per serving, should be displayed.

• Fruit and veggies should be given to kids by supermarkets in their stores to limit pester power.

• Cards for loyalty that gives points for healthy food choices should be made available.

• Food that is unhealthy should be away from the eye of children to limit pester power.

• High in fat, salt or sugar foods should be displayed film-style classification such as PG, 12,15.

• Healthy environments like parks should offer free Wi-Fi rather than fast food restaurants where they go.

Many of these steps offered by the young people have been previously identified by experts but not acted on by the Government. Many of these young people attribute their obesity directly to the fast way to receive the unhealthy takeaway food.

Img c/o Pexels.