How important is breakfast for school-going children?
Breakfast for school kids
Everyone must have heard this saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So it is important for children to start their day right. According to an article published in the USA in 2014, children who eat breakfast on a daily basis are 20% more likely to graduate. Children who eat breakfast regularly are more focused than those who skip breakfast.
Breakfast breaks overnight hunger pangs. People who eat breakfast tend to eat more milk and cereal than those who don't. Milk provides important calcium for the body. It also fills the stomach and helps avoid overeating and snacking during the day.
It also balances the blood sugar level. To avoid glucose fluctuations throughout the day, eating fruits, grains, and light protein within two hours of waking helps kickstart the metabolism. A faster metabolism helps burn calories throughout the day while skipping breakfast stores extra calories in your body.
Breakfast also increases the energy level in the body. Breakfast eaters have increased morning physical activity compared to non-breakfast eaters. Physical activity helps prevent fatigue and weight gain. Children who eat breakfast do not snack as much and their dependence on junk food is also reduced.
Breakfast also activates the brain. It actually enhances mental abilities. Stable glucose levels can help your ability to focus, think, and process information. It is also beneficial for the heart and cholesterol levels.
Breakfast increases the mental capacity of children
However, not everyone in the world can afford to have breakfast in the morning. In a 2017 survey, at least 40 percent of 52 seventh-grade students said they would benefit from a school breakfast program. A breakfast program will benefit many families and help children get a better start to their day.
While researching what Pakistani children eat for breakfast, my team recently interviewed 100 girls, mostly kindergarten students, at Wasin Sarbazi Government Girls Secondary School in Lyari, and we found that 60 percent had not had breakfast while 23 percent had only had tea. 11 percent had tea and biscuits while 6 percent had tea and paratha for breakfast.
This chart is from a study conducted in Saudi Arabia that shows the relationship between breakfast and academic performance among school children.
When asked why they didn't have breakfast, we got the answers that they are not used to eating so early in the morning, there is no one to cook for them, they are used to having only two meals a day or They cannot afford breakfast.
It is important to educate people, and especially families, about the relationship between breakfast and academic performance. For example, in a 2017 study of high school students by Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, it was revealed that 62 percent of 130 female students ate breakfast regularly and performed better than students who did not eat breakfast in the morning. were
These findings support the hypothesis that breakfast has a short-term positive effect on school-going children's performance. Therefore, school breakfast programs should be promoted to promote healthy eating habits among school-going children.
According to an article published in Ziauddin University's Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry, 40 percent of children under 5 years of age in Pakistan are stunted (short for their age) and 17.7 percent are stunted (too tall for their height). lean). Although significant investments are being made by governments to tackle this problem, more and more work is needed soon.
School feeding programs in Pakistan can solve several problems
School meal programs can address a number of issues. These programs are globally recognized as the most effective tools for contributing to children's nutritional health and well-being, as well as their academic performance.
In many countries, school meal programs are an important component of national social protection schemes that support the most vulnerable families. According to the World Food Program (WFP), about 310 million school-going children in low- and middle-income countries would benefit from school feeding programs.
According to WFP, India now provides food to more than 10 million children, while Brazil provides food to 48 million, China 44 million and South Africa and Nigeria more than 9 million. This food is provided every day during the school year and half of the children benefiting from this program in all these countries are girls. Eating at school not only improves a child's health, but also affects their academic results and life achievements.
Here it is more useful to study the example of Bangladesh. In 2013, the government signed an agreement with Muslim Aid to supply 93,000 high-energy biscuits to more than 400 primary schools in Patukhali district. Through the school feeding program, many students whose inadequate nutrition affected their performance in school now receive essential vitamins that support their growth will do.
Although the program has been successful, it is currently being reviewed to see how it can be modified to meet the growing needs of the country. With more energy and better focus, students can use their talents in a better way.
By having a good breakfast, children also stay away from junk food
Although many local organizations, NGOs and social workers provide food to students in Pakistan, collectively it is not enough. A coordinated program supported by the government could help the 22.6 million Pakistani children who are currently out of school to return to learning and healthy development. Young children especially need healthy and nutritious foods as their brains continue to develop until the age of five.
Having experience of managing many government schools in Karachi and being a doctor myself and my team are trying to provide food to students in primary and secondary schools. We have seen this help improve enrollment rates, as well as retention rates, especially in schools in rural or disadvantaged areas.
If the government starts a regular program of providing food to students in schools, it will give a chance for better development of the children.
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