Ban them!

President of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and Chairman of the Barbados Non-Communicable Diseases Commission, Sir Trevor Hassell wants an end to the promotion and advertising of junk foods in schools and an end to junk food sponsorship and support for school activities as well as family and sporting events in this country.

 

He made the call recently as he delivered an address to students and teachers attending the Barbados Workers’ Union Symposium for Senior Students of Secondary School held at Solidarity House. Sir Trevor told the audience which included students from Harrison College, Queen’s College, Combermere, Christ Church Foundation, Providence Secondary School, Princess Margaret Secondary and Metropolitan High School that the marketing and promotion in schools and consumption of energy-dense nutrient-poor products, sugar sweetened beverages and fast food to children, interfere with the formation of healthy dietary habits.

 

“It is important for all of us, teachers, children, everyone, to appreciate that children may often have difficulty discerning the persuasive intent of marketing and advertising of foods and beverages of minimal nutritional value, which are associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity among children,” he explained.

 

The long time advocate for healthy eating made the comments as he frowned on the fact that the marketing and promotion of the aforementioned products in schools in this country often take the form of providing paper to cover books, calendars, or even banners in classrooms. He noted that these forms of marketing and promotion bypass parental controls, and he maintained, they constitute an ethical and human rights concern. He indicated it is a concern for the Healthy Caribbean Coalition as well as international agencies such as the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation, which believe that such promotions should not be permitted in schools. (JRT)