Balanced diet: Director of Health Dr Lam Ping-yan and other guests officiate at the Fruit Day ceremony at SKH St James Primary School in Wan Chai.

Hong Kong school children are not eating enough fruit, a Department of Health survey says. The department has launched the Fruit Day event to encourage students to develop a habit of eating fruit daily.

The department interviewed 9,000 primary school students from 44 schools last March and found only 56.7% of them ate fruit twice or more each day.

Because eating fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of developing diseases, the department advised children to eat one to two servings of fruit a day.

Healthy eating culture

In support of Fruit Day, more than 220,000 students from 350 primary schools ate fruit at schools today. The schools also pledged to hold more than 270 related activities to encourage students to take more fruit.

Schools are encouraged to set up a policy on healthy eating and to enhance co-operation with parents in creating a healthy eating culture.

A tool kit has been produced and distributed to schools and teachers. A 'Fruit Diary' has been prepared for students to keep a log of the fruit they eat in the weeks following the Fruit Day event and a 'Resource Kit' to help teachers plan and implement related activities.

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