New guidelines on student nutrition will be introduced to combat
problems such as obesity, a public health commission
forum?in?Shanghai?said on Monday.
The guidelines are already being tried out at schools in Nanhui
and Jing'an districts and will be implemented city-wide from next
year.
The commission members said eating potato chips and foreign fast
foods was causing students to become overweight and suffer from
calcium deficiencies.
It also plans to give school canteen personnel instruction on
dietary needs, make "nutrition corners" on campuses and hand out
information on nutrition and the harmful effects of junk food.
Correspondence with students and holding interviews with parents
are also planned.
The commission will require every school to hire a nutritionist
and improve food coordination and cooking processes.
"Students tend to like hamburgers, French fries and other foods
that are high in calories and fat," said Shi Huijing from the
pediatric department of the public health school at Fudan
University.
"They don't like vegetables or fruits and don't eat sufficient
staple foods," Shi said.
The school has been asked to make a lunch menu for students of
different ages, in order to provide guidelines for schools and
lunchbox companies.
(China Daily September 26, 2007)