Teachers in New South Wales are being encouraged to identify children's eating habits at lunch and recess.
According to the Daily Telegraph, educators have been told to be on the lookout for kids gaining 'massive' amounts of weight as a result of their lifestyle.
The NSW Department of Education's mandatory reporter guide encourages teachers speak to parents if they get concerned about the student's weight.
Advert
Educators are then urged to report the parents to child protective services if the child's weight doesn't improve.
"Extreme obesity is not the most common form of neglect but is a serious concern and can be challenging to address," the mandatory reporting policy guidelines state.
The Department of Education has reportedly explained a situation that could arise at school in a slideshow, according to News Corp.
Advert
The Department gives the example of a student called Jonnie.
In the video handed out to educators, a teacher says in the clip: "I have noticed that he has excessive amounts of food for recess and lunch and spends the whole time eating. And it is all heavy food: potato cakes, pizzas, pies and pastries."
The educator explained how the mum and dad still didn't change their child's lunchbox, even after speaking to them and even getting a dietician involved
As a result, the teacher reported them to authorities.
Advert
A spokesperson from the Education Department told the Daily Telegraph: "Where students present as experiencing massive and observable weight gain, impacting capacity to function in essential aspects of their lives, a mandatory report is required.
"Where possible, advice is provided to staff to support the parent/carer in accessing relevant services and to ask families if and how they would like assistance to address the food or nutrition concerns held."
Health campaigners are concerned about the policy as it's hard to draw a line on what is considered unhealthy eating. However, it's no secret that obesity in children is still a big issue.
Figures from 2017 to 2018, found that only 4.4 per cent of children aged from five to 14 ate the required amount of vegetables.
Advert
Roughly one in four kids in the country is overweight or obese.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said in its report: "Overweight and obesity (the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in the body), increases a child's risk of poor physical health and is a risk factor for illness and mortality in adulthood.
"Overweight and obesity generally results from a sustained energy imbalance, where the amount of energy a child consumes through eating and drinking outweighs the energy they expend through physical activity and bodily functions."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Australia