Amman, Sept. 14 (Petra) -- Nearly one-third of school students aged 13 to 17 are overweight or obese, with the rate rising to 42.5 percent among private-school students, according to a national school health survey that has prompted new measures on food and physical activity in schools.
Health Minister Ibrahim Al-Bdoor said the Global School-based Student Health Survey found that 32.9 percent of students in the age group were above a healthy weight, including 20.8 percent who were overweight and 12.1 percent who were obese.
The prevalence of overweight stood at 30.3 percent among public-school students, compared with 42.5 percent in private schools.
The survey also revealed low levels of physical activity. Just 12 percent of students exercised for more than 60 minutes a day during the week, while 31.5 percent did not take part in physical education classes at school.
The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development with support from the World Health Organization.
Al-Bdoor said the findings had led the Health Ministry to introduce a series of measures targeting two of the main risk factors identified by the survey: unhealthy diets and insufficient physical activity.
New health requirements have been sent to the Education Ministry for application in school canteens, together with lists specifying which foods and drinks may be sold to students.
The prohibited items include flavored and processed chips, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, as well as manually prepared drinks and juices or products containing artificial coloring.
Oversight of school canteens is also being strengthened. The Health Ministry has asked the Education Ministry and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration to activate joint technical committees responsible for carrying out regular inspections.
The committees, which include representatives of the three agencies, will inspect canteens at public and private schools across the governorates to check compliance with health standards and approved food and beverage lists.
The ministry has also called for physical education to be treated as an integral part of the school day, instructing schools to hold PE classes regularly across all grade levels rather than replacing them with other subjects.
It also recommended incorporating light exercise and interactive activities into morning assemblies and school breaks, expanding participation in school sports and competitions, and providing safe and properly equipped spaces for physical activity.
The measures form part of efforts to curb risk factors for non-communicable diseases by improving students’ diets, increasing daily movement and promoting healthier habits from an early age.
//Petra// RZ
