Nov20Schools should ban junk food temptation

Children’s secretary Ed Balls has called on schools to toughen up on nearby junk food temptations. Mr Balls said that there is no point banning junk food in schools if teenagers can go to local unhealthy fast food shops which are cheaper than the school canteen, according to The Times Newspaper.

He also stated that councils should be using their powers to ban fast food outlets from opening close to schools and teachers should be preventing children leaving the premises during lunch breaks.

Mr Balls commented at a Healthy Eating in Schools conference in London: “We’ve made huge progress on school food but what goes on outside the school gates is as important as what happens inside.

“Schools, parents and local authorities all need to be working together to make sure our children and teenagers get the kind of healthy food that will set them up for success in life.”
 
Research suggests that 90% of parents thought schools should adopt a stay on site policy, with 67% agreeing that children would eat more healthily if they were not allowed to leave school at lunch time.