Teach young people healthy living habits

Sir — It’s ridiculous, irresponsible and inappropriate that any organisation tells children to cut back on meat and dairy products.

It is parents’ role and responsibility to teach, train and supervise what their children eat and drink.

And encouraging children, at a critical time in their development, to cut down on vital, nutritious food can be harmful and dangerous.

There are already some children inclined towards unhealthy weight loss and anorexia. Is this dietary advice — connected with claims of helping the environment and pollution — going to tip them further into this train of thought?

We also have a lot of overweight children, some obese. Will this encourage more unhealthy eating, consuming unhealthy, empty calories from fast-food consumption and guzzling minerals?

Will it increase the amount of takeaway food and beverages, and all the unrecyclable wrappings and disposable, unrecyclable containers?

Surely encouraging the consumption of healthy food and beverages would be the more responsible behaviour.

Children should be informed of their own responsibility in reducing their carbon footprints.

They should be encouraged to walk or cycle to their places of education, sport and recreation.

They should be encouraged to do a little home gardening. Peas, beans and lentils are very easy to grow, and are very healthy foods. And they help the environment. Lettuce and other salad leaves are easy to grow. It is these kinds of practical activities children should be encouraged to do.

And children should also be taught and trained to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

Recently, a few schoolboys, in their early teens, were coming towards me on the footpath, consuming their fast food.

In front of me, beside a rubbish bin, one boy threw his empty pizza box on the ground.

I said to him that this was littering and that he should pick it up and put it in the bin. And I said that there was a €3,000 fine for this kind of littering.

His eyes and mouth enlargened like saucers as he stared at me. But he picked it up and left it on the top of the bin.

So everyone, of all ages, should take responsibility for their own behaviour and lifestyles. Margaret Walshe, Dublin 15