United Nations Child Rights Expert Urges End to Unhealthy Food Rewards for Children

United Nations child rights expert Faith Marshall-Harris is urging parents and caregivers to stop using sugary treats and fast food as rewards for children, warning that this habit poses long-term health risks.

Marshall-Harris, who is also the chairman of the National Committee on the Rights of the Child, issued the call as she threw her support behind a new campaign advocating for a ban on the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages in schools. The campaign is organised by the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados in association with the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition.

“We have got to start somewhere; we have got to get very serious about this ban. We can’t just have policies and strategies—we have to go further,” Marshall-Harris said on Wednesday at the campaign launch at Accra Beach Hotel. “There will be an outcry, but we must educate and deliberate for our children.”

Marshall-Harris noted that rewarding children with unhealthy food has become ingrained in Barbadian culture, especially around major academic milestones. She pointed to the tradition of treating children to fast food after the 11-plus exam and the growing trend of Friday evening “rewards” at fast food outlets.

“In a few months, there will be swarms of children after the 11-plus exam being rewarded with huge gallons of fast food. But this is not just a one-time event anymore. Every Friday evening, there are large groups of parents and children, seemingly celebrating simply getting through the week,” she said.

Marshall-Harris stressed that this practice is detrimental to children’s long-term health and goes against Barbados’ commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees the right to adequate, nutritious food, ensuring children can thrive with the highest attainable standard of health.

While acknowledging the government’s efforts to address childhood obesity and poor nutrition—such as increasing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and introducing a school nutrition policy—Marshall-Harris raised concerns about the ongoing challenge of enforcement.

She highlighted reports of vendors outside school compounds undermining the policy’s effectiveness.

“There appears to be an implementation deficit. Canteen operators initially tried to adhere to the policy, but when vendors outside the school gates freely offered prohibited foods, they were forced to compete, and many reverted to selling unhealthy options,” Marshall-Harris said.