KINGSTON, Jamaica – A recent approval by the Cabinet of the National Nutrition Policy, will see Jamaica heading towards ensuring that only nutritious foods enter the school system.
According to a release, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, who made the disclosure, said the policy is now in its Green Paper stage, and it is going to "influence what is served in schools" for children.
"We are going to make sure that the foods that you eat in our schools are not going to make you sick early in your life. It is going to be a balanced meal," the Minister said while addressing a recent Kiwanis Club of Eastern St Andrew, Child Month virtual forum.
He told his audience that eating fruits, reduction of sugary drinks, fewer fried foods, more vegetables and increased water consumption, are part of the mix that the policy requires for serving in schools.
"One of the things that we have found is that nutrition in our schools has created a lot of premature illnesses and developed bad habits. So, we start with that for our young people, and even before that, maternal health," he said, underscoring that several programmes are in the public health system to support expectant mothers who need critical assistance.
The Minister emphasized that over the last two years, with funding from the European Union (EU), the Government has built out a number of infrastructures, including specialized units, to "give mothers better advice at the community level.
"And that nutrition policy is going to give you better things to consume, and our "Jamaica Moves in Schools" will ensure more physical activity to make you also physically healthy," Dr Tufton said.
The National School Nutrition Policy was produced by the Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Education and Youth in association with collaborating ministries and agencies. It is to guide the process for the provision of good nutrition coupled with wellness, especially for the most vulnerable students in the society.
The policy will seek to ensure that children entering educational facilities are exposed to good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness recently advertised a job opening for the position of Chief Marketing Officer for the National School Nutrition Policy. The requirements for the role include preparing a presentation for the Board Members of the Ministry of Health, (as well as Minister Christopher Tufton) on key Consumer Behaviour principles. As a recent Marketing graduate of the University of Technology, the ad has piqued your interest and you are going to apply for the job; you have been asked to do the following: It is the first stage of the interview process and you are asked to outline your strategy to determine the success of the programme. You start by recommending Consumer Research
A) Explain the type of primary research the Ministry should conduct to determine the feelings, opinions and motives of parents in relation to the introduction of the new nutrition policy, ensure you include the most appropriate research techniques.
B) Explain and write examples of three (3) attitude scales that can be used to determine the attitude of parents towards the National School Nutrition Policy in an online survey.