City schools in bid to tackle obesity crisis
GLASGOW school meals bosses have said the city is doing plenty for pupils’ health after experts claimed children should be kept in school at lunchtimes.
The Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) made the call in response to Scottish Government plans to tackle obesity.
It said councils should consider “onsite lunchtime policies” to stop youngsters eating takeaways or buying junk food.
Pupils would need permission to leave school premises.
In Glasgow work has been continuing for several years to make school meals more appealing to young people in a bid to divert them from fast food.
At Holyrood Secondary a Hollywood-style diner was introduced in the playground.
Other schools have cafes serving a range of a coffees.
Julia McCreadie, Cordia’s head of facilities management and Encore, said: “We’re continually looking for ways to increase school meal uptake so pupils can enjoy a healthy and balanced meal at lunch-time instead of opting for external fast food outlets.
“Ensuring the menus are packed full of different options for individual tastes is one way to reach this goal but it’s also important to explore creative ways to improve the overall lunchtime experience.
“Young people enjoy the setting of high-street cafes so we work with schools to replicate this inside the gates through projects such as the American Diner in Holyrood Secondary or the Art Café in Eastbank Academy.
“By combining these types of comfortable surroundings with a good menu, the offering becomes much more persuasive against the unhealthy options outside.”
The GCPH experts said Scotland could copy Sweden, where children help prepare school meals.
Figures show that 29 per cent of Scottish children and twothirds of adults are overweight or obese.
The Scottish Government is looking at responses to a consultation on its obesity strategy.