Monday, June 16, 2008
Malnutrition problem ‘serious’
WHILE many of them have ideal weights, a significant percentage of elementary schoolchildren are still underweight.
Department of Education (DepEd) 7 data collected last year showed that 22.59 percent of Central Visayas’ elementary schoolchildren were malnourished.
And though 75.79 percent were “normal” and 1.61 percent were “above normal” in weight, the education department still considered the situation as “serious,” especially after comparing last year’s weight averages with that of the previous school year.
In the 2006-2007 period, 23.12 percent of schoolchildren were underweight, which means a decrease of a mere 0.53 percent.
Grace Espos, a DepEd 7 nutritionist, attributed the high percentage of underweight schoolchildren mostly to their families’ economic status.
She said that while schools provide supplementary feeding programs throughout the year that help pupils grow heavier, they usually lose whatever pounds gained during the summer vacation, when they are at home.
Funds
And not all schools offer feeding programs, which are often initiatives of school heads, who themselves must find ways to generate the needed funds.
“We have supplementary feeding programs, but not all schools are doing it,” Espos said.
“They would have income generating projects, or a school canteen, or a school garden to get resources. Parents, supervised by the home economics teachers, participate in helping cook the food for the feeding program,” she added.
Espos said feeding programs significantly improve academic performance because “students have a difficult time understanding lessons if they go to school hungry.”
She said, though, that parents should take an active role in keeping their children healthy.
“Sometimes, parents just rely on the feeding programs to boost their children’s weight. But once school’s over and summer comes around, the children lose the weight they have gained over the school year,” she added.
In feeding programs, children may enjoy either hot lunches or snacks as prepared by the school.
“These are low-cost but nutritious meals,” said Espos.
The DepEd will monitor “low performing” schools and those that do not often participate in supplementary feeding program. (EPB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 16, 2008 issue)
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