Dear Editor,

Children in Jamaica exist in a school environment that is historically academically inefficient, and now we are realising is also nutritionally poor.

There are startling trends in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among children; therefore, we have to consider the environments in which they exist, and how eating habits formed in these environments can affect their long-term health outcome.

Many NCDs can be prevented by reducing common risk factors, such as physical inactivity and unhealthy diets.

Diet has been a major aspect of the proliferation of NCDs among Jamaican children in recent years.

The Western pattern diet predominates in Jamaica and consists mostly of high amounts of processed foods, red meat, high-fat dairy products, high-sugar foods, and pre-packaged foods. It is low in fruits and vegetables and high in fat and sodium.

Moreover, this diet consists of large portions, high calories, and excess sugar.

In the school environment, we know from experience and research that it is easier for students to access processed foods with high amounts of sugar and salt. Candy, patties, and chips form a major part of the diet of school-aged children.

The main constituents of the Western pattern diet all increase the risk of chronic illness, especially NCDs. From a nutritional perspective and against the backdrop of the present situation in Jamaica, public health and public institutions have to combine to correct this issue before our children fall ill to preventable diseases, and we lose our vision of having a stable and healthy population.

A healthy school environment provides students with nutritious and appealing foods and beverages, consistent and accurate messages about good nutrition, and ways to learn about and practise healthy eating throughout the time children spend on school grounds — including before and after school.

Nutrition education is a vital part of a comprehensive health education programme and empowers children with knowledge and skills to make healthy food and beverage choices.

Schools can provide an important opportunity for prevention because they provide the most effective method of reaching a large number of people, including youth, school staff, families, and community members. Healthy food and improved nutrition should be a high priority on every school agenda.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition issued a regional report in 2019 called the Rapid Assessment of the School Nutrition Policy Environment. This report enumerated the findings of studies conducted in select Caribbean countries, Jamaica was among the chosen few. The report found that, in Jamaica:

• a policy pertaining to banning or restricting the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in and around schools is present

• a policy banning or restricting the sale of unhealthy foods that are energy dense and nutrient poor in and around all schools is absent

• a policy banning or restricting the marketing of sugar-sweetened beverages in and around all schools is absent

• a sugar-sweetened beverage tax is absent

• a nutrition policy or guidelines specifically for all schools is absent

It is of vital importance that these issues are resolved while we seek to address all the other alarming issues in the school environment. As the situation stands, the state of nutrition in schools represents an untenable crisis.

Rashaun Stewart

Medical student

communications@youthadvocateja.org