Blog from Altrincham & Hale Franchise
With the government’s seemingly rash decision to delay the bans on multi-buy deals for junk food and pre-watershed TV advertising for at least a year, it begs the question; just what can be done to protect children’s health?
Whilst schools alone cannot fix childhood obesity, the current curriculum in the UK sparingly teaches children about food in their science, design and technology or PHSE classes, and there is a real lack of a focus on cooking itself, and the nutritional science that underpins that knowledge.
Giving children opportunities to regularly cook at school, and surrounding them with healthier options from a very young age, will provide them with practical skills and knowledge they can then use to make informed decisions about what they buy in the shops. Surely this seems a more long-term, rational approach than simply reinforcing harmful ideas about “bad” and “good” food.
“Bad” food is only “bad” when its excessive. That’s what our children need to learn. If they understand the nutritional information behind food, as well as giving them the knowledge and skills they need to prepare healthy, well balanced meals at home, they will grow up in a society that teaches them that they don’t need to lean on junk food growing up, rather than just telling them.