We hear (and talk) a lot about obesity. It’s the epidemic that is crippling our health system. But finally, one government is doing something about it.

Today the Queensland Government announced it is changing the school curriculum to rejuvenate the subject of Home Economics. Not only will the course be updated to Food and Nutrition in 2019, it will be prioritised and given stronger weighting towards HSC results, comparable to subjects such as maths and science.

“We want to give students a more attractive option for studying food and nutrition,” the Education Minister Kate Jones told The Sunday Mail. “We want to make the study of food more appealing to boys and girls and help position them for future careers.”

The new subject will be a more rigorous course, teaching students about the production, consumption and marketing of food, as well as healthy eating habits, reports The Sunday Mail. The state is battling a growing obesity epidemic, and seeks to capitalize on a booming tourism industry requiring qualified chefs.

We all need to know how to cook, and not just because it’s ‘trendy’ or we want to be on Masterchef. It is a skill that is as important as Maths and English, and one that has been cast aside by academia. Yet what could be more important in stemming the tide against obesity than educating Australians about what they are putting in their mouths? Many dream their children will study medicine and become doctors – yet don’t consider that we could have done so much more to prevent the problems that are filling the surgeries in the first place.

We at delicious. wholeheartedly support this move, and The Sunday Mail’s call to rally the other states in Australia join them. I would also like to see the study of food introduced at a primary school level. Cooking straddles all elements of the curriculum – Maths, Science and English. What is more vital than understanding how to feed yourself, and your environmental footprint?

Somehow, we’ve been given the impression that there are more important things to do than learn to cook. The feminist movement taught women we could do and be anything – that is, anything more important than staying at home in the kitchen in an apron. Inadvertently, learning to cook has become an image synonymous with an unfulfilled 50s housewife – anathema to the career oriented Gen X.

I will never forget a comment one senior colleague made to me one day. I was editing another magazine at the time, and proofing an opinion column by the writer, actress, cook and mother Jane Kennedy. In her column, she bemoaned the lack of priority society now placed on learning to cook. “Prioritise Home Economics, for boys and girls,” she said. My colleague rolled her eyes and said, “Surely there’s more important things to do.” Like what? We might be able to ‘outsource’ many things today, but feeding yourself or your family three meals a day isn’t one of them (unless you’re living on Mariah Carey’s budget).

It’s important to note this is something that not just affects women. Learning about health, nutrition but also the global problem that is food waste, along with seasonality and sustainability is all of our responsibility.

Starting to solve the problem of obesity is not about banning fast food or takeaway, or even taxing it. It starts with education. It begins with people learning about what they are putting in their mouth, caring about it, and how to cook it for themselves.

Bravo to the Queensland Government. You have begun a cultural movement that will reap immeasurable benefits. Even if that includes deconstructed pumpkin scones!

For more on how the Queensland government is prioritising Home Economics see, here.