Is the banning of snacks, fizzy drinks and other goodies at school the best way to achieve healthy eating habits? Fizzy drinks being officially banned in school canteens, the ministry of Health is now seriously considering extending the ban to food. ?But will this really be enough to change the bad eating habits of children? I believe education is the best way of achieving it,? stated nutritionist Brinda Oogarah-Pratap, senior lecturer and head of the Home Economics department of the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE).

There are two types of food: the sort that can or must be consumed everyday and that is not harmful to the health, and others that can be consumed occasionally. ?Usually, these are the ones that children like the most,? said the nutritionist. ?According to the principles of healthy eating, no food should be banned. The important thing is to know in what quantities a certain number of products should be consumed,? she added.

The idea is thus to better educate pupils on what they should eat. The introduction of Health and Physical Education as a core subject this year is among the positive initiatives taken by the ministry of Education. This subject has been introduced at the level of Standard 1 and it should be gradually introduced into upper classes at primary level as from next year. Education on healthy eating is also supposed to be included in other subjects such as EVS and Science.

Common module for primary teachers

But this is not the only way of making children aware of good eating habits. All teachers in primary schools benefit from a training programme at the MIE. A module of health education delivered by the department of Home Economics is part of this programme, which gives these teachers " basic exposure to healthy eating". In fact, this module is not focused only on eating habits but also involve issues such as tobacco, alcohol and any other subjects related to health ?but it is a first step towards making sure that teachers have basic skills to pass on to pupils?.

As for teachers in secondary schools, there is no such common module for all. ?Education is more specialised at that level and teachers usually have enough to do with their own subject. Healthy eating is a major component in only the Biology and Home Economics programmes,? comments Brinda Oogarah-Pratap. Moreover, these are the only two subjects where health education is tackled at school. ?What I find quite sad is that Home Economics courses where the issue of healthy eating is tackled in-depth are given only to girls,? says the nutritionist.

The problem with biology classes is that they sometimes deal only with the scientific aspect of the topic and do not really show the practical aspect of knowing how much protein or lipids such and such a product contains. The way teachers deal with this is very important as what children will remember afterwards depends on the way they are taught.

But, according to the senior lecturer of the MIE, school should not only promote health through the curriculum. Although she acknowledges that it is important that children be made aware of good eating habits, she highlights the importance of the whole environment where parents must also be taken on board.

?Parents are the ones who prepare food for their children. How useful is it to ban goodies and snacks from school canteens if children are given whatever they want at any time after school?? wonders Brinda Oogarah-Pratap. So, schools may also find it necessary to reach out to parents. A good breakfast is important for children to have the necessary energy to work in class for instance. In fact, nutrition is important for children?s achievements in school in general.

Canteen owners may also have a role to play. A pilot project was launched in a few schools with the Institute of Consumer Protection to give training to the people managing canteens in schools to make sure they are aware of good eating habits. They might soon be given a list of products that they no longer have the right to sell but they should be informed of the reasons why such products are being banned. Nutritionists from the ministry of Health are also holding talks on this issue in some schools but this happens quite rarely because of the limited number of nutritionists.

What Brinda Oogarah-Pratap would suggest is ?maybe to allow canteens to sell all products on two days of the week only?. This is merely a suggestion but it is also a way of saying that a complete ban might not be the only solution. After all, children will always be children? who love sweets and snacks!

A COMPLEMENT TO THE SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAMME

■ ?We already had quite an important programme for primary schools and had launched one for tertiary institutions last year. With the School Health Programme launched at the beginning of the year, we are filling the vacuum at the secondary level," Dr Vassen Pauvaday from the ministry of Health, pointed out. Since it was launched, doctors, staff of the nutrition unit of the ministry as well as the staff of the ?health information, education and communication unit? go to schools to hold interactive talks with pupils ? mainly those of Form III and Lower 6 ? on healthy eating habits and lifestyle. "They are made aware that Mauritius is among the ten countries of the world most affected with diabetes and that one third of the population suffers from high blood pressure," explained Dr Pauvaday. These pupils are thus informed of what a good and healthy diet is and also of the importance of physical exercise. "We found it really hard to make adults change their lifestyle. This is why such habits have to be instilled into children when they are young," Dr Vassen Pauvaday commented. Examinations are also carried out on these pupils and if a risk of obesity for instance is detected, then the pupils are given appropriate advice on nutrition and physical education. Teachers and school staff are also given pamphlets so that they can read them with pupils and engage discussions with them on health topics. The ministry of Health is also very keen on organising additional talks and activities with schools to make pupils aware of healthy eating habits whenever they are invited to do so. All this is actually part of the National Nutrition Action Plan that has been launched by the ministry of Health and for which a final workshop is to be held in the coming weeks.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS?

If teachers? advice on good eating habits and the adoption of a healthy diet are important for the health, practising sports is equally crucial. This is why it appears so important to develop a sports culture at school. Even if Physical Education is compulsory until Form III, many schools make use of this time to allow pupils to relax through play activities. Although it is indeed important for pupils to relax, sport should be given more importance for the physical advantages it brings. If sport is practised at an early age, children will develop good habits that will last all their lives.