School meals could be measured by Ofsted

11 November 2003 by
School meals could be measured by Ofsted

The provision of healthy school meals should be assessed in Ofsted inspections as part of a national campaign to tackle child obesity, according to a new report.

The dossier, A Leaner Fitter Future, compiled by the Medical Research Council (MRC) collated opinions from 28 organisations across various sectors.

It said that canteen meals, vending machines for snacks and soft drinks should be part of the consideration when grading a school, along with other issues such as PE lessons and nutrition education as part of the curriculum.

It said that a "lack of effective implementation strategies is the real problem."

The MRC is calling for a follow-up workshop in January to come up with national or community-based strategies to tackle child obesity.

The Food Standards Agency is already considering the banning of vending machines in schools from stocking sweets and crisps.

In another initiative Welsh assembly members are expect to approve plans to provide primary schools children with free breakfasts.

In 2001, the report claims that among 4-18 year olds, 4% are classified as obese with a further 15.4% classified as overweight.

by Christina Golding

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