Tuck shop fare

Letters appear on a regular basis in the press regarding the obesity in children, and that contributing to this is the unhealthy food sold in school canteens and tuck shops. Regulations exist as to which food and drink should be sold in these outlets to protect children, yet very few of these canteens and tuck shops seem to abide by them. Many parents and students complain of, among other things, chocolates, hamburgers, fried egg sandwiches, cheesecakes, chips and fizzy drinks being sold in schools. Naturally, besides contributing to increased and undesired increases in weight, this type of food also ensures regular visits to the dentist as teeth start to decay.

It is, however, surprising to note that the officials of the Department of Education are completely oblivious to anything going on in school canteens and tuck shops which are violating what are supposed to be strict regulations and guidelines on what should and should not be sold to students. I recently read that the Minister of Education, Louis Galea, replied to a parliamentary question by Labour MP Carmelo Abela that during this scholastic year there were no reports of unhealthy food and drink being sold in schools. Do they have to wait for reports to be made? Don't they read the newspapers? Don't officials from the department make surprise visits to all schools, not just state schools, to ensure that children's health is being safeguarded? Surely a small team of honest, dedicated officials could be designated to make continuous inspections during the scholastic year. These must be officials who will not bend to any pressure from whatever side and report exactly what they found out.

This question of healthy eating among youngsters should also be directed at parents. I know many working parents who feed their children cheesecakes, pizza and other similar food. It is the easiest thing to do but they do not realise the harm being done and that in the long run it is the children who suffer.

Sport is one thing that helps to combat obesity. Is sport taken seriously at school? In many it is but in many others it is more a time of getting out of the classroom. Sport organised well is very beneficial to children and there are many dedicated teachers in all schools who do their best to see that students in their care do sport regularly and to the best of their ability. However, one hour a week of physical education is surely not enough. A better balance has to be found to give students a chance to study but also a chance to use up the energy youngsters have.

The well known sportsman Fr Hilary Tagliaferro has always tried to convince parents that sport forms part of education and should not be overlooked or underestimated in the fight against obesity, drugs and other ailments.