Warning: Chris Fearne.

A third of toddlers are at risk of developing serious tooth decay which may require dental surgery unless their diets are changed, Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne warned yesterday.

Parents and educational institutions needed to promote better dental hygiene at an early age to address the situation, Mr Fearne told a press conference to launch a new policy on healthy eating and physical activity in schools.

“While not all youngsters are at risk, 10 per cent of kindergarten children already have enamel decay and require immediate treatment,” said Dr Fearne.

New research into dental hygiene carried out last year by the Dental Public Health Unit in collaboration with the Faculty of Dental Surgery found that several children needed as many as nine fillings out of 20 teeth last year alone.

This, Mr Fearne said, was partly because Malta had one of the highest consumption rates of sweetened drinks in Europe.

In fact, some 40 per cent of 11-year-olds consume at least one soft drink every day, double the EU average.

The situation was made worse once the rest of children’s diets were factored in.

Dr Fearne said some two thirds of children aged 15 did not eat vegetables every day. The same applied for fruit consumption.

Malta also had the highest amount – 54 per cent – of children consuming sweets and chocolates more than once a day.

The policy will review the foods on sale in school, and also seeks to work with parents and other stakeholders.

The solution, Mr Fearne said, was not limited to weeding out consumption of sugary foods, but also to instilling a culture of dental hygiene and active living.

Mr Fearne said students need to be encouraged to brush their teeth after meals, including at school.

The document, being distributed to all school heads, highlights the need for gaps in the school day during which children can exercise.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said nearly half of children in middle school were overweight and did less than one hour of exercise every day. Just 10 per cent of 10-year-old girls did the recommended one hour of exercise every day, with boys doing slightly more.

The main factors taking over from physical activity were computer games and television with over 60 per cent of children spending more than two hours glued to TVs on school nights. The figure increased by more than a third on weekends.

Asked if the policy would see an increase in the time allocated to Physical Education in students’ timetables, Mr Bartolo said this was not the solution. Instead, schools, together with the education authorities will seek pockets of time in the school day to help children exercise.

“Physical exercise may be allocated between lessons, in the morning and after school,” he said.

Another lacuna in children’s diets was observed in the number of youngsters eating breakfast. A 2010 study found that half of 15-year-old girls did not eat any breakfast whatsoever. A third of boys the same age also skipped the ‘most important meal of the day’.