NSSC: Poor nutrition affecting students' health and…

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Kemon White reports

The food students eat today may be shaping the nation's future, and growing concerns about nutrition in Jamaican schools are prompting calls for urgent action.

The National Secondary Students' Council (NSSC) is warning that poor nutrition, high sugar consumption and student hunger are impacting the health and academic performance of students across the island.

A recent survey conducted by the NSSC Health and Wellness Task Force found that fast food and sugary products account for about 40 per cent of the food sold in some schools.

The task force says even when healthier options are available, 61 per cent of students reported that those choices are too expensive for most of their peers.

The council argues that many of the most accessible meals, including fried chicken, pizza, burgers and fries, are high in oil, sodium and unhealthy fats, leaving some students sluggish and less able to focus in classrooms.

The survey also found that 30 per cent of students consume sugary drinks every day while another 22 per cent do so several times per week.

The survey comes after the Health Ministry announced that Cascade Primary in Buff Bay Valley Portland was the only school in Jamaica to achieve 100 per cent compliance in the implementation of the National School Nutrition Policy and Standards.

Some 201 other schools did not achieve full compliance.

Meanwhile, the NSSC says hunger remains a serious issue.

It notes that research has shown many Jamaican students regularly skip breakfast while regional data suggests food insecurity affects about one in four Caribbean students.

The council is now calling for stronger feeding programmes, healthier food options and stricter regulation of unhealthy products in schools.

The NSSC President Brian Anderson says improving nutrition in schools must become a national priority if Jamaica is serious about improving educational outcomes and protecting the health of its students.

The call for action comes amid a broader push by the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) and its partners to curb the marketing of unhealthy foods in and around schools, and promote healthier eating habits among students.

NSSC: Poor nutrition affecting students' health and academic performance

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