Compulsory cooking classes in UK schools
In an attempt to rein in the UK’s burgeoning obesity crisis, the UK government has launched a policy making cooking classes compulsory in schools.
Schools and children’s secretary Ed Balls said the government wanted all 11- to 14-year-olds to be taught how to prepare simple and healthy meals using fresh ingredients.
Ministers hope this will encourage healthy eating and leave children less vulnerable to weight gain, as experts predict up to a million children could be obese within a decade.
This is a great policy no doubt. But I wonder how long Government’s will continue to implement good policy like this at the same time as implementing bad policy, like where fast food and highly processed food continues to be marketed to kids.
A more holistic approach is needed, and perhaps this is only possible where there is more local autonomy.
It would be great to see this kind of approach in Australia. Teaching kids to cook acquaints them with using fresh ingredients rather than highly-processed foods.
This has health benefits but also provides the important environmental lesson that we depend on natural systems.
The more we depend on natural systems, and therefore nuture them, the less we need the giant multinational food companies. These corporations profit from over-feeding us and who have the biggest ecological footprint.
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