Deborah Grey, Thane: A school in Thane has banned students from bringing junk food in their tiffin boxes in a bid to curb childhood obesity.

It is not wise to give into your children's demand for junk food.

Principal Revati Shrinivasan of the Smt Sulochana Devi Singhania School said, "Childhood obesity is at an all-time high. Plus, school children need to deal with very high stress levels now-a-days. It is therefore important to eat right."

At the school, students are educated about the advantages of having a balanced meal from a young age.

One of the teachers, Aruna Deshmukh, says, "We encourage them to have more green vegetables, fruits and roughage. We even have specific food days such as green food day when children bring green vegetables and even green paranthas."

The school is strict about its regimen.

If a child regularly brings unhealthy food, the teachers write a note to the parents. If the child continues to bring junk food, teachers meet the parents face to face to explain to them the advantages of a balanced diet.

If the practice still continues, the child is not allowed to eat from his tiffin box and every other child in the class is asked to give the child one spoonful of food each from their tiffin boxes.

"We don't take any punitive action," explains Aruna Deshmukh. "Instead, we sit with them during lunch and eat healthy food ourselves so they can see that here are no double standards."

But the responsibility doesn't just rest with teachers.

Even parents need to play an even more active role in helping their child lead a more disciplined and healthy life. They need to lead by example.