The documentary called the “Sugar Crash” that focused especially on the health issues in Ireland was eye-opening. It is unbelievable how much sugar not only children but adults eat in a day. According to the WHO, adults should eat maximum of 16 teaspoons per day. And 3-year-old children should not consume any sugar at all. The study shows that people in Ireland eat 4 times more than they should. The consequences it has on our health are countless e.g. on our teeth. There was a case when a child needed to have more than ten teeth exctracted because of the damage the sugar did to their teeth.
It is extremely worrying to see how much the number of obese children has risen. The documentary says that before 1980, Irish people were the thinnest in Europe. However, now, they are 4th in terms of the sugar consumption.
It is important for parents, in particular, who need to become role models for their children, to start paying attention to what they give to their children. When preparing food, we should always refer to the “Food Pyramid” as it will help us prepare the right meals and portions. People often make the mistake by assuming that zero fat-product is a better option overall. However, it usually means that extra sugar has been added.
According to what I have seen, especially in the UK and in Ireland, people often buy soft drinks and crisps and allow children to eat it as a normal snack. However, how children are brought up affects their future lifestyle including what food they will buy and eat. What people ate as children has a great impact on what they will eat as adults. Therefore, the best and most effective way is to give children healthy food from the start (give children water instead of soft drinks and give them fruit and vegetables and natural dairy products) because later in life they are more likely not to experience issues with sugar and avoid temptation of products with high amount of sugar.
From my point of view, there should be a greater emphasis on healthy lifestyle and eating fresh food in the UK, Ireland and in other countries. Teachers have the power to change it by introducing such topics to children at an early stage of their learning to help them establish understanding of the importance of healthy eating. Through various activities and class discussions, we can talk to children about a negative impact unhealthy eating can have on their health.
Some schools that are located in deprived areas have started to apply a very effective approach, in my opinion, by giving children fruit for free during the day.
To link it with the Scottish Curriculum, the topic is related to the Experience and Outcome: “I am developing my understanding of the human body and can use this knowledge to maintain and improve my wellbeing and health.” HWB 0-15a / HWB 1-15a / HWB 2-15a / HWB 3-15a / HWB 4-15a
