KEY POINTS:
A South Auckland high school is rejecting unhealthy food parents drop off at reception as schools across the city come up with strategies to try to get teenagers eating well.
Mangere College wrote to parents in its latest newsletter asking them not to bring in big bottles of
fizzy drink, packets of chips or chocolates.
Principal John Heyes told the Weekend Herald the stance went beyond the Government's healthy eating guidelines - which came into force nationally three months ago and cover food sold on premises but not food brought in by students - but the school cared for its community and had a duty to educate it.
"While you can control certain things within the school gate, the biggest challenge is getting those messages out into the community," said Mr Heyes.
"Until the Counties Manukau community really takes a hard look at diet, we are sitting on a timebomb."
Mr Heyes said parents were receptive to the front-office initiative and the college did not have an issue with parents repeatedly dropping off unhealthy lunches.
He said the move was one of a huge number of initiatives operating at the school, including a breakfast club and morning exercise sessions run by its student health council.
The school's tuckshop - with a menu newly given the Diabetes Project Trust tick - was ahead of the game and had worked for about two years towards the need to serve only healthy options.
The healthy eating requirements have generated plenty of interest in schools. In April, Oteha Valley School, at Albany on the North Shore, told parents that birthday cake brought for students to share was off the menu.
Papatoetoe High School principal Peter Gall said the biggest problem for many schools was students going to nearby stores for pies and chips instead of buying the likes of salad sandwiches from the canteen.
"I'm pretty sure a lot of the local dairies around here would be making a killing," he said.
At Rangitoto College in Mairangi Bay, students have sometimes ordered pizza to be delivered to school.
Principal David Hodge, who was overseas yesterday, told the Weekend Herald in June that it was probably not in breach of guidelines but staff discouraged it.
"It's not very good practice that you want pizza delivery trucks lining up in your carpark," he said at the time. "It's certainly not in the spirit [of the healthy eating guidelines]."
Acting principal Elizabeth McKnight said yesterday it was "certainly not" a regular occurrence.
"There have been occasions of it happening in the past but none recently."
National Party education spokeswoman Anne Tolley said other students found innovative ways of getting around the guidelines.
"There are kids setting up sausage sizzles outside school grounds - all sorts of nutty things are happening."
Education Minister Chris Carter said the guidelines were being implemented well.
Schools giving good messages, particularly those providing free fruit to students, were changing children's behaviour.
"I know some people think we are being PC," said Mr Carter, "but quite frankly, if they look at New Zealand's medical bill and they look at obesity among our teenagers and the rate of diabetes and heart disease among older New Zealanders, we've got to do something."
Stopped at the gates:
1.5 litre bottles of soft drink
Big bags of chips
Packets of chocolate biscuits