PAT and PANN back 'Feed Me Better' campaign

Friday, 18, Mar 2005 12:00

PAT/PANN PRESS RELEASE: 18 March 2005

PAT AND PANN BACK "FEED ME BETTER" CAMPAIGN

The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) and its Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN) section have backed Jamie Oliver's "Feed Me Better" campaign.

The Association has joined the 50,000 plus signatories (http://www.feedmebetter.com/getinvolved/signexplain.php) supporting the campaign to improve the standard of school meals.

PAT/PANN General Secretary Jean Gemmell said: "A good diet and good health go hand in hand. We welcome initiatives such as this one to promote healthy eating. Schools can play an important part in encouraging pupils to eat more healthily.

"We would welcome getting parents more involved by giving them a say on school meals. However, the promotion of healthy eating has to start in the home, with encouragement from the Government through the media. Children eat a lot more meals at home and elsewhere than they do at school.

"We would also like to see more restrictions on the promotion of junk foods to children.

"Exercise plays a key role too. Over the past 20 years, the proportion of children travelling to school by car has almost doubled and the proportion of pupils walking or cycling has decreased significantly, so it is not surprising that levels of childhood obesity have increased! Obviously many children live too far from school to walk or cycle, especially in rural areas, but this is an issue which should be addressed. Statistics show that in urban areas at 8.50 am, 1 in 5 cars is taking children to school.

"The amount of time dedicated to school sports and PE has also declined in recent years because of the pressures of the curriculum and the Government's standards and testing agenda."

Notes

http://www.feedmebetter.com/

http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/J/jamies_school_dinners/campaign/

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