Junk food on notice in Delhi schools

Junk food in and around schools in the city could soon be history. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to various government departments and agencies following an NGO\'s petition that sought a ban on the sale of junk food and carbonated drinks in and within a 500-yard radius of educational institutions.



Notices were issued to Delhi government, the human resources development ministry, the ministry of health and family welfare, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the directorate of education, Delhi.



A Delhi-based NGO for children\'s welfare, Uday Foundation, had approached the court to direct the government to develop a comprehensive school canteen policy that emphasises healthy nutrition among school children.



\"At what cost is it okay for junk food to be available to them at school,\" asked advocate Rakesh Prabhakar, who appeared for the petitioner. \"On the one hand, children are taught about good nutrition and the value of a healthy lifestyle inside classrooms; yet on the other hand we continue to make junk food available to them.\" The court asked the respondents to file a written reply by February 9 next year. It also asked the NGO to define \" junk food\" in its petition before the next hearing.



While the petition did not define what junk food is, it quoted senior doctors explaining the ill effects of consuming junk food. \"When you have a sumptuous junk meal rich in oil, you feel drowsy and fail to concentrate,\" the petition said. \"Over sustained periods of junk food eating, blood circulation drops because of fat accumulation. Lack of vital oxygen, nutrients and proteins particularly can stale your grey ( brain) cells temporarily.\" A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan also appointed senior advocate N. K. Kaul to assist the court as amicus curiae in deciding the issue. \"It is the right time we change the way kids eat in schools. Banning junk food and carbonated drinks in schools will set new standards for healthy foods that will make our kids feel better, grow better and learn better,\" Prabhakar told the court.



The petition cites data from the latest National Sample Survey Organisation report released by Delhi government, which says Delhiites spend an average of Rs 371 per month on processed food and beverages. However, when it comes to vegetables and fruits, they spend far less - Rs 290 on vegetables and onethird of it on fruits.



The petition further says that per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables in India remains as low as 130 gm per day. China consumes 300- 350 gm of fruits and vegetables per day. \"The earlier you start a regular diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, the better it is for your health. It has been proved that these things protect against multiple diseases, such as cancer, heart attack and blood pressure,\" said the petition.



Prabhakar said he thought of moving the court in November this year when he visited his two minor children at school. \"I was stunned to see how irresponsibly junk food is being sold to young people by the school authorities,\" he said.



The petition quotes senior medical professionals such as Dr Anoop Misra, director and head of the diabetes and metabolism department at Fortis. He says that 95 per cent of diabetics in Indians suffer from Type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle disease, while only five per cent suffer from Type 1 diabetes. \"Junk food is one of the biggest reasons behind this,\" said Dr Misra.



The NGO\'s petition claims that in India, a large number of schools has tied up with fast food chains in order to sell junk food and carbonated drinks in their canteens. \"At least onethird of today\'s children consume junk food more than thrice a week,\" the petition says.



In 2006, the then Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had suggested the banning of junk food and colas in school canteens and nearby school premises across the country. That, however, was never implemented as sale continued.



It adds that in the US, various states have banned the sale of junk food in their schools.



\"Hawaii bans junk food in all schools all day,\" the NGO says in the petition. \"Florida bans the sale of junk food in elementary schools all day, and in secondary schools until after lunch. Elementary schools in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia have already banned the sale of junk food in schools until at least after lunch.\" The trend is the same in the United Kingdom where, in 2010, in a leading case in London High Court, the judge declared fast food takeaway near schools as \" unlawful\". In 2006, the UK government announced its \' New Standards for School Food\'. Schools were no longer allowed to provide chocolates and sweets, crisps and savoury snacks ( except for seeds, nuts and vegetables) and low grade meat products such as burgers, pasties or sausages. Schools are also mandated to not provide deep fried foods more than twice a week.



\"Junk food is a food that has poor nutritional value and is considered unhealthy,\" the petition says. \"A food that is high in fat, sodium, and/ or sugar content is known as junk food. It has little enzyme- producing vitamins and minerals and contains high level of calories. Since junk food is high in fats and sugar, it is responsible for obesity, dental cavities, Type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.\"


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