Poor Diet Responsible For Poor Academic Performance – Expert
The Consumer Activation Manager, Blue Band, Mr. Oluwafemi Atoyebi, has identified malnutrition and lack of balanced diet for pupils as one of the reasons for poor academic performance.
This, he said, was one of the reasons the company started a campaign for proper nutrition for children in the schools.
Atoyebi said this at the 15th edition of the annual rally, held at the University of Lagos Sports Complex, where over 7,000 pupils drawn from various schools in Lagos were feted after they were enlightened on proper nutritional habits.
Atoyebi said the slow mental development of some children could be blamed on nutritional deficiency, as he advised parents to imbibe the culture of providing balanced diet for their children.
“When a child is given balanced diet, he will be mentally sound and do better in his academic work. As a company, we try to promote our brand and to also support these children. Through this programme, we give them the required orientation on the importance of balanced diet.
“We need to have children that are nutritionally sound. That is why Blue Band supports this annual programme because it focuses on the wellbeing of children, which is of great importance to our company.
“A well nourished child, with the support of daily dose of balanced diet, would surely be a healthy child. A healthy child, of course, will make a healthy nation,” he said.
Also, the National Coordinator, Children of Africa, Kunle Alaba, expressed concern about the rising number of out-of-school children, currently estimated at 10 million in the country.
He expressed sadness that the children’s rally, earlier held in some states in the North, was cancelled because of the security challenges in the region.
“Two years ago, we held a children’s rally in Kano; but this year, we couldn’t go there because of the insecurity. Our prayer is that God would intervene and restore peace in these areas,” he said.
Alaba also called on the government to make education compulsory for all children in order to reduce the number of street children.
“We believe that education is key to national development. Educate the child and the nation would prosper. I will appeal to the government to allocate a percentage of the national budget for addressing the plight of vulnerable children.
“The government should look at those children on the streets, and bring them back to school. If they don’t educate these young ones, there will be problem on the long run.”
Remember that we posted an article no long ago on Best Foods To Eat To Make Your Brain Sharper. It seems we were thinking in the same direction with Mr. Oluwafemi Atoyebi.
