We often hear that health is wealth. But how well is it understood and applied is difficult to ascertain. This time, we bring to you a story on a nutritional study undertaken by our five GSP (Green Schools Programme) Gold schools, for assessing their students’ health. A few students in the age group of 12–15 volunteered from each school to participate in the study...

This year (2016), there has been a renewed focus on children’s health. The WHO has launched a global strategy on health for women, children and adolescents. New challenges keep cropping up as increase in travel and people-to-people contact creates a globalization of microbes. Degrading environment has its own set of problems.

For those of you who often end up at fast-food restaurants in search of a bite, here is an eye-opener. According to global estimates, by 2025 some 268 million children aged 5 to 17 years may become overweight, including 91 million obese. Obesity-linked diseases are projected to increase sharply too; in 2025, up to 12 million children are likely to suffer from impaired glucose tolerance, 4 million will have type 2 diabetes, 27 million will have hypertension and 38 million will have fatty liver. Does this forecast sound alarm bells, kids?

This member of the cucumber family goes back thousands of years

One summer afternoon when Aman was sitting in a corner looking lost, Parth went up to him and said, “Hi, why are you sitting alone during recess?" Aman got up from his desk and walked out of the classroom. The recess ended and all the boys entered the class and made themselves comfortable in their respective seats. After the school got over, Parth walked up to Javed and asked him as to what is the matter with Aman, why does he stay gloomy and aloof.

The key lies in education. We should expose children more to food systems, says nutrition consultant Rujuta Diwekar.

This is the age of hard sell: everything that is or can be on sale, is being sold aggressively through promotions, advertisements, media campaigns, claims of how good the product is, what health benefits it supposedly has, etc... and that also goes for the food that we eat.