The education secretary has announced a wide ranging review of school meals in a bid to beat obesity. Charles Clarke wants to tackle the growing crisis in children’s health by focusing on the content of lunches provided by schools.

Ministers issued guidelines on minimum nutritional standards as recently as 2001, but they appear to have had little impact, with statistics showing young people’s health rapidly deteriorating as a result of poor diet and a lack of exercise.

“The guidelines encouraged schools to offer pupils a choice between, say, chicken nuggets and chips, and pasta and salad,” a spokesman said. “What they have proved is that you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.”

The Department for Education and Skills has now toughened up its stance. Its new Healthy Living Blueprint looks at ways it can order reductions in salt, sugar and saturated fat levels in school meals.
Teachers will be encouraged to include more nutrition advice into science and food technology courses, while heads are being pressured to make more provision for school sports.

The government is also concerned not to be seen as a “nanny state” with the DfES spokesman adding that: “We want to reduce chip intake not to ban it.”
With plans for longer school hours being considered, more meals are likely to be provided by schools, where some control can be exercised over what children eat.
But the Conservatives have criticised the latest initiative.

Shadow health minister Simon Burns said: “The government’s approach to tacklingthe problems of poor diet and obesity in schools, like their approach to all public health issues, has been haphazard and lacks coherence. Labour needs to work in conjunction with parents and sport initiatives.

“We are all tired of hearing about new projects, be they committees, obesity summits, or consultation papers. After seven years in office Labour should have some answers. “What we need is a central coherent strategy to link together all the department initiatives and a public health commissioner to ensure that it is delivered.”