Soft drinks to be banned in government schools in Bangkok

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to ban carbonated drinks in schools under its umbrella, part of a four-measure strategy to strengthen the health of Thai youth and to prevent obesity among Thai children.

The BMA plans to ban soft drinks in food kiosks around school premises, as soft drinks can lead to bad health such as obesity and tooth decay.

City Hall is now discussing what other types of goods might be prohibited from selling in and around school areas. The authorities are asking for a conclusion by March, the end of the current school term, with its recommendations to be applied the following semester.

According to BMA’s the ‘Thai Children without Bellies’ project, the over nutrition rate among students in the Thai capital has been increasing continuously from 9.55 per cent in 2005 to 10.43 per cent in 2008.

The four-measure strategy will be applied in 435 schools under BMA. It includes having a data system for students’ physical development, improving nutrition services, promoting regular exercise, and building connections between school staff and parents.

Teachers and parents are to be trained, and menus, food preparation and kitchen systems will be reorganised in schools with followup to certify that standards are maintained.

Handbooks on guiding children’s nutrition will be distributed and networks of teachers and parents will be built in order to raise awareness among children to change their dietary behaviour.

- Asian Tribune -