DoH announces meals drive to cut obesity

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced a new free healthy school meals pilot to reduce obesity and encourage young people to eat more healthily.

Under the 20 million pound scheme, primary school children in deprived areas in three local authorities will be given free meals for two years, with the health benefits of the initiative then being assessed.

The government will evaluate the success of the programme in terms of reducing obesity and affecting the body-mass index of children, as well as its impact on the behaviour and academic performance of pupils.

It will also record if the scheme changes home eating habits and general improvements in health and wellbeing.

Alan Johnson, health secretary, said: “Local initiatives such as that in Hull seem to show that children who eat a healthy lunch are more likely to be better behaved, better able to learn and more likely to see their general health improve.”

He added the government needs robust evidence from a pilot assessed across the country, which is the reason for its 20 million pound investment in this study.

In June 2008, the government announced the disappearance of “unhealthy” snacks from primary school menus and a limit of three deep fried food items per week as part of a bid to offer healthier choices for young people.