Minister shocked by backlash against School Nutrition Policy

inister of Labour, Social Security, and the Third Sector Colin Jordan, has expressed surprise at the “alarming” and “almost shocking” backlash the government has received over its school nutrition policy, which aims to encourage healthier eating habits among children.

“The pushback against the school nutrition policy was alarming to me, almost shocking,” Jordan told reporters during an educational tour of Parliament for primary school students from his St Peter constituency and the St James North constituency.

In a bid to reduce the high level of deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) linked to obesity – a 2018 study found that 32 per cent of Barbadian adolescents were overweight, of which 16 per cent were obese – the government has introduced a school nutrition policy whose primary objective is to ensure that “only nutritious food and beverages that enhance the health, learning and well-being of school children are sold, served and promoted in school environments.”

The policy calls for the introduction of nutrition standards for all foods and beverages in schools; restrictions on the marketing and advertisement in schools of foods and beverages which are not consistent with the nutrition standards and healthy dietary practices; and improvements in eating environments in schools.

However, the policy has come in for criticism from some quarters, much to Jordan’s perplexity.

“The call to more healthy eating should not evoke from adults in our society such a negative backlash,” the minister said. “What is so glamorous about insisting that children drink sweet drinks for breakfast and lunch? What is terrible about asking our children to drink more water, eat more fruits, cut out some of the sugar, and cut out some of the fat?”

The executive summary of the policy states that NCDs accounted for 83 per cent of all deaths in 2016. It also states that in recognition of the threat that the growing public health burden of the NCDs poses to the country’s economic and social development and in response to the government’s global commitments, the Ministry of Health and Wellness accorded increased priority to NCD prevention and control in the national health agenda.

Reducing the major risk factors for NCDs, including unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, and the upward trend in overweight and obesity was listed as one of the three main strategic interventions in the plan, the executive summary states.

The minister emphasised the broader implications of poor dietary habits on public health and finances.

“The NCDs and all those kinds of things affect the public purse, but they also affect people. When I have a disease, then I can’t function the way that I would want to function. Now, why would we set up our children to be victims of these kinds of things?” Jordan asked, while stressing the government’s commitment to equipping parents with the tools to make better choices for their children’s nutrition and overall well-being.

In addition to addressing the nutrition policy, Jordan called for greater civic engagement among the nation’s youth, highlighting the crucial role parents play in shaping future generations. He acknowledged that more needed to be done to involve young Barbadians in understanding the legislative process.

“I have to continue to be honest and say that I don’t think we’re doing enough,” Jordan stated. He emphasised that while schools are important, the responsibility of fostering civic awareness could not rest solely on teachers.

The minister outlined plans to engage a cadre of individuals to support parents and caregivers in raising civic-minded children. He also stressed the importance of religious and civil society organisations in this comprehensive approach to civic education.

The educational tour, led by Jordan and MP Edmund Hinkson, aimed to expose students to the workings of Parliament.