The case for funding healthy school meals

Fiona Carnie believes the government would save money in the long run if schools were funded to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches for all children. Photograph: Alamy

If the government put a figure on the lifetime cost of dealing with childhood obesity, it may well find that money would be saved in the long run if schools were funded to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches for all children (Obesity-related hospital admissions rise by 15%, 9 May).

This might also contribute to an improvement in educational outcomes since hungry children, as well as those who are full of E numbers, struggle to engage with learning. Furthermore, if these lunches were vegetarian it would contribute to a significant reduction in carbon emissions caused by rearing animals for meat.

We need some joined-up thinking in order to address the many and complex challenges we face – and making the link between obesity, educational outcomes and the environment would be a good start.
Fiona Carnie
Alternatives in Education, Bath

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition