DO KIDS NEED A HEALTHY BODY FOR A HEALTHY MIND?

Mens sana in corpore sano (Latin) Translated: A healthy mind in a healthy body Roman Poet Juvenal (born 50-70 CE, died after 127 CE), Satire X

- JOHN B MONTEIRO

The phrase is widely used in sporting and educational contexts to suggest that physical exercise is an essential part of psychological well-being. The quote is the first in a list of what is desirable in life:

You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Ask for a stout heart that has no fear of death,

and deems length of days the least of Nature’s gifts

that can endure any kind of toil,

that knows neither wrath nor desire and thinks

the woes and hard labors of Hercules better than

the loves and banquets and downy cushions of Sardanapalus.

What I commend to you, you can give to yourself;

For assuredly, the only road to a life of peace is virtue.

Traditional commentators believe that Juvenal’s intention was to teach his fellow Roman citizens that their prayers for long life are misguided. Over time, the phrase has come to be construed to mean that only a healthy mind can lead to a healthy body, or equally that only a healthy body can sustain a healthy mind.

The former is not a matter of our choosing. According to a study on inter-generational benefits of the midday meal scheme, published in mid-July 2021 by Nature Communications, midday meals in schools leave a long-lasting impact. There was lower stunting and higher height-to-age ratio among children with mothers who had access to school lunches.

Using nationally representative data on mothers and their children spanning 23 years, the study showed that by 2016, the prevalence of stunting was significantly lower in areas where the scheme was implemented in 2005. More than one in three Indian children are too short for their age, reflecting chronic under-nourishment. The fight against stunting has often focused on boosting nutrition for young children.