Mumbai kids get health lessons in dabbas

MUMBAI: There is a positive fallout of the obesity epidemic that’s sweeping Mumbai. Not only parents but even teachers and principals are taking a closer look at what children are eating at school. Many schools today don’t just pay attention to what is served in the canteen and brought in tiffins, but also rope in dieticians and nutritionists.
Last year, a survey of over 3,000 students by Nair Hospital found 15% of them overweight and 6% obese.
While some schools like Mazgaon’s Christ Church School allow only products approved by school authorities in the canteen, in others, parents decide the canteen’s menu.
Schools that can’t afford nutritionists either mandate or encourage their students to bring only healthy food in their tiffins at least five days a week.
Interestingly, thanks to growing affluence and changing tastes, non-vegetarian food is appearing on more dining tables more often. But given the cholesterol and trans-fat risks of a protein-rich diet, the jury is still out on whether it translates into better health for us.