Food and drink firms must have no role our schools

CHILDHOOD obesity is one of the biggest challenges Scotland faces as we try to turn around our nation’s poor health record.

According to a Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report this year, 28 per cent of children in Scotland are either overweight or obese.

Other figures have shown that more than two in 10 children in primary one face the same risk.

Politicians have long called for a greater emphasis on physical education at school, but there is now a belated focus on the sugar and fat content in what we eat and drink.

Of course, it is important for each adult to think responsibly about the food they and their children eat.

However, the companies behind unhealthy foods must also face up to their own responsibilities, just as tobacco and alcohol companies have been forced to do.

As such, the UK Government’s levy on producers of sugary drinks may be a limited measure to tackle the obesity crisis, but it should at least have the welcome effect of shifting the conversation onto the regulation of products.

However, while recent developments are welcome, all public bodies that provide services involving children must do their bit to ensure that nutrition is promoted.

In theory, North Lanarkshire Council takes children’s health very seriously. The “healthy eating” part of its website states: “Your child’s growth, development and educational needs are important to us. A healthy and nutritious diet helps to contribute to their overall growth and decreases the risk of obesity and other health problems.”

So far, so good. In practice, however, the same council allowed multinational dairy firm Müller to enter a primary school and carry out a consumer test of its strawberry and chocolate milkshakes. The danger with such a practice is obvious: pupils as young as five could develop a taste for sugary drinks, rather than healthy alternatives.

The product test also raises the question of how many food and drink companies have had access to pupils. Ministers need to review guidance in this area and ensure that councils enable, rather than harm, healthy eating messages.