Food Policy in Schools

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Why have there been changes to food policy in schools over recent years? Food policy is a course of action intended to influence decisions, actions, behavior and perceptions to enable people to access enough food for a healthy active lifestyle. Numerous scientific reports have outlined the case for a healthy diet and many have emphasized the need for this to begin in childhood. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver made the nation sit up and pay attention to the quality of food in Britain's schools. But why change the schools standards and is high-quality, tasty food enough to get kids eating the right thing? What people eat is strongly influenced by many factors including knowledge, affordability, society, access, friends and relatives. People eat according to learned behaviors such as meal and snack patterns, acceptable foods, food combinations, and portion sizes. Eating habits are developed during childhood. Individual preferences develop over time, and are influenced by personal experiences such as encouragement to eat, exposure to a food and family customs. If encouraged to enjoy healthier food and drink during childhood, they will be more likely to carry these habits with them into later life. Research has shown that there has been great need for a change in children’s dietary habits. In the past 10 years obesity in six year olds has doubled to 8.5% and trebled among 15 year olds; and overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. (Health Survey England 2001) The four most common chronic health problems linked to obesity are; heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. Also another factor that could potentially contribute to this is that salt intakes are 50% higher than recommended. (NDNS 2000). Another shocking fact is, on average, children in Britain eat only two portions of fruit and vegetables a day –

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