He’s back. Big Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to ban some junk foods from California high schools in an effort to stem child obesity. His initiative comes only a few weeks after Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Cadbury Schweppes agreed not to sell fizzy drinks in Primary and Middle schools throughout the USA.

 

In the UK the government has already banned the sale of sugar laden drinks and other junk food in schools. The banning of junk foods is a big victory for those parents and health organisations that have campaigned for so long for schools to promote healthy habits.

 

In India we have not yet had a sustained campaign to introduce healthy practices into our schools, but several individual schools have taken the initiative and banned aerated drinks, crisps and sweets from their canteens.  Sadly, most schools continue to sell junk food. 

 

Some schools have gone further. They do not have any food retail outlets on the premises! Increasingly their example is being followed by new schools that are starting up. For these new  schools all snacking between meals is unhealthy and the emphasis is on teaching the children and parents about healthy eating and living.

 

In the USA the schools have not yet gone as far as banning all food sales in schools. From 2007 students will still be allowed to buy water, milk and some fruit and diet fizzy drinks. Of course health organisations are still not happy and they are seeking to get diet drinks banned as well. Here they are faced with serious obstacles as the drinks companies are fighting a marketing war to promote diet cola as a drink for men!

 

Last Thursday Coca Cola launched Coke Zero in the UK and they are spending millions of pounds to promote the drink as ‘Bloke Coke’ to all those young men who think that Diet Coke is, as Arnold would say, ‘only for girly men’!  In a TV campaign starting today the new drink will be depicted as ‘masculine’.

 

Here in India the marketing of aerated drinks is always aimed at the young and other than selling their products in schools, junk food companies have an extensive campaign of  school event sponsorship  that in some instances is worth lakhs to the school each year.  

 

We await to see if Coca Cola and Pepsi will give the same consideration to Indian children, and parents as they have in the USA and halt sales in schools. In the meantime we can only hope that an Indian Arnie will come along to force schools and junk food companies to end their unholy alliance, and force schools to promote a healthy lifestyle.

 

Keeping our children away from junk food and drink will be difficult, but not impossible. The junk food companies have multimillion dollar budgets, and TV campaigns but if we teach our children not to snack, to live a healthy lifestyle, and get our schools to co-operate we can say “hasta la vista” to obesity, diabetes and a host of health issues.  By convincing our men folk to reach for a nimbu pani rather than a diet cola might be a good first step!