I was dumbfounded when the Health Minister announced recently that nasi lemak will be banned from school canteens. I went "hmm.. really?" I think Chua Soi Lek, when he was Health Minister, attempted to change the school meals too, but he didn't succeed.
I'm all for healthy meals for our kids, but I think the current initiative is a bit misguided. Why pick on nasi lemak? What about the other food options being sold at the canteens like nuggets, fried fish balls (God knows how much fish is really in there), keropok lekor, ice cream and Mamee? What about doughnuts and currypuffs? Has the Ministry conducted a research and found that nasi lemak is the biggest culprit, hence the reason for picking on it? I doubt that is the case...
If nasi lemak really is going to be banned, what is the alternative? I haven't heard any suggestions or advice from the Ministry on what kind of food should replace nasi lemak. If no healthy replacement is offered, then the children are going to buy the abovementioned food options that are not much better (or could even be worse) than nasi lemak.
Recently a reader wrote to the Star, commenting that for poor kampung children, nasi lemak provides a filling meal that can last them from morning till afternoon. He also commented that obesity is mainly a problem of middle class, urban children, not poor kampung children.
I have to agree with the writer. I don't believe nasi lemak is the culprit. It all begins with the parents, so if the Health Minister is serious about tackling obesity, they should engage parents first. Kids get fat because of a number of reasons: they eat too much, they eat the wrong kinds of food, they spend too much time watching TV and playing computer games, and numerous other reasons. And as my DH crudely puts it, "just close down all the fast food outlets!" Now, won't there be an uproar if the Minister said all McDonald's burgers will be banned? But I do believe that burgers are worse than nasi lemak.
By the way, my DD doesn't eat nasi lemak and burgers.
7 comments:
yelah, i was surprised too. nak kata selalu makan, aini pun jarang makan. sebulan sekali pun belum tentu.
UA: Me thinks more research is required. And please.. give alternatives. Kalau tak, budak2 akan makan makanan lain yg tidak menyihatkan juga, so it won't solve the problem. Lagi satu, budak2 makan sekali je di sekolah, so yg patut di tackle ialah apa yg diorang makan di luar waktu sekolah.
Setuju dgn Maksu, lifestyle skrg yg menyebabkan ramai kanak2 obese. Masa imran sklh di putrajaya dulu, ida gi jenguk jgk kantin sklh, nak tgk apa yg dijual utk anak2 kita. I was shocked tgk nugget, sosej - proses food yg tidak menyihatkan. I don't think nasi lemak tidak menyihatkan. Lgpun bukannya makan hari2.
Yes, kena buat research dulu on bdk2 yg obese tu. Kdg2 Ida wonder bakpo our gov jadi lagu ni? Mcm jgk when they change BM-BI and back to BM again (I heard)- mcm main2 jer. Yg kena tempiasnya anak2 kita :((
Nida, your kids are lucky, dapat peluang pergi international school. Sekolah di M'sia bagus juga, but as you mentioned the prob is flip-flop decisions. Anak2 kita jadi lab rats :(
Anak2 Ida untung dpt peluang belajar di international school. Sekolah di M'sia bagus juga, cuma masalahnya flip-flop decision. Anak2 kita jadi lab rats :(
Lab rats ye..?
Baiklah nasi lemak banding dgn burger nugget segala tu..sbb nasi lemak ori..nasi belauk pun..
Kita makan makanan asli kita la..buat apa kita nak makan makanan tiru..an..kan?
Mungkin perlu kita ubah suai sikit dr segi kuantiti dan kualiti berdasarkan fakta bhw org dulu kerja kuat guna tulang 4 kerat dan org le tak byk kerja guna tenaga fizikal..so kena lbhkan aktiviti fizikal sikitla..buatla apapun..asalkan bermunafaat..
Kita ikut cara tok nenek kita makanlah..buat apa kita nak tiru cara tok nenek org makan???
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