The Ministry of Education has recently passed out orders to schools listing down 9 types of food items to be banned from UAE schools. This is more than a warning bell to parents and the concerned. With growing addiction towards luring junk food items, the order from the Ministry stands significant and questions our understanding and awareness of the harms of junk food. The new guidelines have been issued in line with global health standards, helping schools influence and shape the dietary and nutritional needs of students.

The list of banned food items includes, instant noodles, hotdogs and processed meats, potato and corn chips, chocolate spreads, chocolate bars, sweets, lollipops, jelly, peanut products, cream cakes and doughnuts along with carbonated drinks including energy drinks, flavoured water, juice, iced tea and slushies. The looming question, however, is how far have we realized the harmful effects of junk food. Junk food actually needs no further explanation or definition as the name itself says it all junk. Junk is anything unwanted, it is a miscellaneous set of waste materials. An apt name for food that does much more harm than good. Junk food is that set of food items with little or no nutritional values at all.

Regular and high intake of such food can lead to adverse health conditions such as fatigue and lack of energy as these food items contain hardly any amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Its heavy intake can also lead to a serious medical condition of obesity. Apart from these, in the long run, it can also pave the way to heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, elevated levels of blood cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

Junk food adversely affects the digestion process, often impairing it all together as well as causing reflux, stomach pain, ulcer, diarrhea or constipation. Junk food is also held responsible for affecting brain function. Read in this context, the government has taken an exemplarily brave step towards raising the health standards of its people. This would mean that school canteens will from now on be devoid of such junk food, also will be the school premises as parents are also advised not to send the banned food items with kids to school. It is high time for many parents who have been heedless about their kids nutritional needs amidst their busy lifestyle to ponder over this.

Instant noodles can prove to be an easy solution to quick breakfast requirements, but how far have these been contributing to our childs wellness? It is time to question ourselves on what we have been feeding our kids for long. The step taken by the government is only half of the job done. The rest relies on the parents. Supermarkets will continue to tempt kids with a tantalizing line of junk food in vibrant colours and attractive packages.

It is the responsibility of the parents to advise their kids on the threats of junk food while simultaneously trying to find attractive and healthy alternatives to their unending list of junk food that continue to flood our markets. It is high time to reduce the frequency of eating out and switching to more of home-made healthy food.