Budget childcare food fuelling obesity crisis

Childcare centres are spending as little as 33 cents per meal to feed kids highly processed foods - a move concerned experts say is adding to the nation’s obesity crisis.

Childcare centres are spending as little as 33 cents per meal to feed kids highly processed foods — a move concerned experts say is adding to the nation’s obesity crisis.

A National Obesity Summit held in Canberra yesterday heard there had been an alarming increase in young adults aged 18 to 34 being obese and overweight — rising to 46 per cent from 38.9 per cent three years ago.

Sport and Regional Services Minister Bridget McKenzie said a staggering 67 per cent of all Australians adults — 12.5 million people — are overweight or obese compared with 63.4 per cent in 2014-15. And she said the Queensland government was now pulling together a National Obesity Strategy.

Minister for Sport Bridget McKenzie. Picture Kym Smith

But children’s health advocate Ruby O’Rourke, chief executive of Healthy Australia, said the summit should also have examined the issue of children eating poorly at childcare centres as regulations around meals are too vague.

University of Newcastle research shows less than 5 per cent of Australian childcare services adhere to national dietary guidelines.

Ms O’Rourke, who has worked with the federal government to pilot a free online menu planning tool for early childhood services, said cooks at some centres had told her they have to work with a budget of $685 for 80 children a week to cover breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack.

Molly Guy, 5, lsraa Boussi, 4, and Gwen Sanders, 5, at Arncliffe Pre-school taking part in the Munch and Move program today. childcare centres are overcoming the obesity epidemic by teaching kids how to eat healthy food.Picture: Justin Lloyd

“That budget means the meals work out at 33c per child,” she said. “The problem is they can only afford processed food and that’s not good enough for the children … up to 67 per cent of children’s daily nutritional intake happens at a childcare service and this has been ignored.”

She wants the government to require childcare centres to hire qualified cooks, as currently all they require is a food handlers’ certificate.

“You’ve got standards around safety with the equipment in the back garden, you’ve got strict standards around the toys … but kitchens fall through the cracks.”