Growing gains

11:43am Wednesday 25th June 2008

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With the latest Government figures showing one in ten children in England is obese by the time they start primary school, Haydn Lewis heard how one York primary is taking a fresh approach to the problem.

WORRYING figures from the Department of Health in London tells us that one in ten of our youngsters is obese.

A map of health inequalities, produced by the Department of Health, shows that 9.9 per cent of children are obese in their first year of school. The calculation has been determined by body mass index (BMI) measurements taken at school last year.

The borough of Hackney, in east London, has the highest rate of obese children with 16 per cent, while Teesdale, in Co Durham, has the lowest at five per cent.

The main concern is that if no action is taken to reverse current trends, 60 per cent of men, half of women and one quarter of children will be obese by 2050, experts predict.

Dawn Primarolo, the Minister for Public Health, said: "Inequalities around the country are stark, but the NHS and local authorities can use these profiles to target health hotspots with effective measures to make a real difference."

But at Rufforth Primary School, near York, the pupils are more than aware of the value of eating fruit and vegetables.

Not only do the children grow their own food as part of a green club, but, when it's time, they harvest it and the fruit of their labours is then prepared for them and served up at lunchtime.

Right now the children in Rufforth Growing Club are beginning to harvest a number of healthy salads and vegetables for use in the school kitchen, where they are prepared and cooked by Angela Wright and subsequently used in the school meals.

Since Easter, more than 20 infant and junior children have attended the club and, along with the help of committed parents and staff, have grown all manner of produce, including sweetcorn, peas, beetroot, chillies, lettuce, onions, radish, beans, courgettes, pumpkins, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes and various herbs.

It's not just vegetables they have been growing. Flowers have also been grown - sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds and sweetpeas, to brighten up the school grounds.

It's all thanks to a new greenhouse, funded by City of York Council after a successful grant application to encourage an uptake in school meals.

The surrounding fenced garden area, including raised beds and a sensory garden, was also funded in part from plant sales and support from the governing body.

April Green, the co-ordinator, has managed to secure links with Morrison's supermarket and, therefore, further cash backing.

Head teacher Mark McDermid said: "The area is a credit to the hard work of the whole school community and is fully accessible to disabled and wheelchair users and will have a huge impact on the wider school curriculum and promote healthy eating for future generations to come."