 | SCHOOL LUNCHBOXES FULL OF JUNK FOOD: NEW STUDY
Victoria’s largest ever lunchbox survey has revealed worrying figures about the amount of junk food young schoolchildren are eating, the Premier, Steve Bracks, said today.
New figures show the average school lunch contains three serves of junk food, plus a sweet drink.
Launching a new tip sheet for parents, Healthy lunchboxes for children, Mr Bracks said parents needed practical information about the best choice of food, as well as foods to keep out of the lunchbox.
He said the information sheet was developed following a survey of 1681 Victorian school children from 18 primary schools, which found:
· 93 per cent of children had junk food in their lunch
· A third of lunches had no fruit
· 40 per cent had a sweet fruit drink or cordial
· The average lunch contained three serves of junk food including biscuits, cakes, buns, chocolate and lollies
· Nearly half of all lunches had two or more biscuits, with children getting more energy during the day from biscuits than fruit.
“According to this survey, the average school lunch is extremely high in fat and sugar and has poor nutritional value when compared to the recommended healthy lunch,” Mr Bracks said.
“Children eating these lunches would need to walk for an additional 14 hrs over five days just to burn the extra calories they are eating. That works out to nearly three extra hours of walking every single school day.”
Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the survey results were concerning, particularly given increasing childhood obesity rates.
Over the past decade, the number of overweight children has doubled and obesity levels have tripled in Australia. More than a third of Victorian children are overweight or obese.
Ms Pike said families were also spending more to provide their children with unhealthy lunches.
“For example, a family with two school aged children would spend about $1000 a year for today’s average lunch compared to $492 for the healthy alternative,” she said.
Ms Pike said parents should aim to put six items in a lunchbox to make it healthy including:
· Fruit
· Crunchy vegetables such as carrots and celery
· Interesting breads and wraps
· A protein food-slice of lean meat, hard-boiled egg or peanut butter
· Dairy food such as a piece of cheese, milk or yoghurt
· A drink – water or milk
“The tip sheets also encourage parents to try to set a good example and praise children when they choose well,” she said.
“Children love coming up with their own combinations of food, so it’s important to also encourage them to be involved in food preparation.”
The initiative is part of the Bracks Government’s $21.9 million Go For Your Life strategy to create a healthier and more active Victoria.
Tip sheets are available online at www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au or by calling 1300 73 98 99.
Media contact: Jane Wilson on 0407 831456 www.vic.gov.au
Media Release Attachment - lunchbox release.doc [Word, 45568 Bytes]
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