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JEDDAH, 15 September 2005 — Young students eating fast
foods may not be learning as much as their classmates who eat
healthy meals. Moreover, the fast-food fans may later learn
that low achievement leads to low pay, bigger medical bills
and bigger waistlines.
Despite Ministry of Health guidelines that ban unhealthy
foods from school lunches, many schools disregard the
regulations and make available to students a diet that can be
a recipe for academic failure and health problems.
Of course, a child’s diet at home also plays an important
role in the increasing problem of obesity among the young and
the portent of a variety of medical problems later in
life.
The Ministry of Health is stressing the importance of
teaching children proper eating habits and ensuring youngsters
get a proper amount of exercise. It is vital for action to be
taken before child obesity and child medical illnesses become
more serious problems in the Kingdom.
Among the foods officially banned from school cafeterias
are carbonated sodas and drinks with a low percentage of fruit
juice, candies, chocolates and gum. Yet many schools in the
Kingdom still offer some of these prohibited items. Cafeterias
sell chocolate bars, different types of candy and soda, in
derogation of ministry regulations.
“Children at this stage of their development need more
nutrients than adults,” said Dr. Fuad Mustafa Niazi, a
nutritionist at a Jeddah hospital. “They should get a full
serving of vitamins and nutrients, such as proteins and water,
for example.”
According to the report titled “A Full Plate for Schools”
by John Marlowe, only 2 percent of all schoolchildren meet all
the requirements of the food pyramid and 16 percent don’t meet
any of the requirements. What makes these statistics so
important is that unhealthy eating habits at school affect
children’s classroom concentration and performance.
A New York study found that many school students experience
malnutrition — too slight to be a clinical problem but still
enough to affect intelligence and academic performance.
The study also found that children who suffer from poor
nutrition during the brain’s most formative years score much
lower on test scores of vocabulary, reading comprehension,
arithmetic and general knowledge. Unhealthy eating habits also
expose children to serious medical illnesses.
“Psychological problems, diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart failure, and even cancer are just a few of the illnesses
unhealthy eaters can encounter,” said Dr. Niazi.
Schools in the Kingdom should enforce healthy food
policies, which will guide students to more nutritious snacks
and drinks during the day rather than items with no
nutritional value.
Health education is an important addition to a school’s
curriculum. In these classes children can learn about
nutrition, exercise, food groups, a balanced diet, and most
importantly how to stay healthy.
By learning these things at a young age, children will be
more likely to have good eating habits as they grow up. They
also will be able to make more informed decisions when it
comes to their eating choices. Finally, they will be more
likely to avoid future eating disorders, obesity, and medical
complications because of unhealthy eating habits and a lack of
exercise.
“One of the major problems we face in the Kingdom is an
unawareness of the problems unhealthy eaters face,” said Dr.
Niazi. “Health education for all is extremely important for
the well-being of all the people.”
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