Sponsored by
Stewart Jackson MP: Westminster Life
I have to confess to (almost) shouting at the radio this week, during a discussion on Radio 4’s “Today” programme between an academic and a woman who promotes breakfast clubs, about their merits or otherwise.
The latter claimed that many parents were too hard up to feed their children breakfast at home and were forced to send them to school hungry. I was sceptical.
The presenter asked: You mean they can’t afford 50p for a bowl of porridge and an apple? No, the lady replied. Then what are they spending their money on, asked the other guest, not unreasonably?
Of course I’ve no issue with breakfast clubs as such and we have some excellent ones in the city - indeed, I visited a great example run by the Kids Playzone group a few weeks ago at Newborough Church of England Primary School and this week Kelloggs, the breakfast cereal makers, have just agreed to fund one at Ravensthorpe Primary School.
They’re a vital lifeline for busy working parents and the best of them are great at setting the children up for learning throughout the day and complementing the efforts of both parents and teachers But I’ve no truck with lazy parents who think that the school is there not just to teach but to parent their children too because they can’t be bothered and would rather spend their cash elsewhere.
Regrettably, too many children come from families with little or no ability in cooking and no idea about basic nutrition, table manners or dining etiquette. Whose fault is it? Is it the state or the parents? Many older constituents will tell me that they never had much money when they were younger but still cooked and ate proper meals, often on a meagre budget.
Millions of pounds of taxpayers funding is currently spent on public health initiatives like Peterborough Primary Care Trust’s very laudable “Live Healthy Live Green” campaign and yet we still have a situation where along with Luton, Peterborough has a larger number of obese or overweight children and adults than the Eastern Region average. In 2010, 33per cent of 10 year olds were classified as overweight and 20 per cent of children were obese, caused by poor diet and little exercise.
As a country, we must do something about the issue before it literally eats up our entire healthcare budget.
Education is important but personal responsibility is vital too. Obesity may well soon be seen in the same way as smoking or drink driving. Socially unacceptable and subject to financial or legal penalties by the government at whatever level.
I hope it doesn’t end up like that but fat isn’t fun for any of us.
Stewart Jackson MP
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
