Childhood
\nobesity has become a topic of concern across the world. In recent years, the
\nnumber of overweight and obese people, especially children and teenagers, has
\nbeen on the rise in Romania as well. Unhealthy
\ndiets rich in sugar and fats and the lack of physical exercise lead to
\nuncontrolled weight gain. Few children are now playing on the street or play
\nbasketball, football, tennis or other sports appropriate to their age. In 2017,
\na children’s hospital in Iasi reported 1,743 children diagnosed with obesity
\nalongside other medical conditions, of whom 392 were diagnosed with obesity as
\na primary medical condition. Doctors warn that the occurrence of childhood
\nobesity has tripled in the last 30 or so years, and this is owed more often
\nthan not to parents who indulge their children’s every appetite and give them
\nsweet treats. Furthermore, in many families today fast food is seen as a reward
\nor an indulgence for children. World Health Organization studies show that, by
\n2030, 90% of the world’s population will be overweight. Specialists warn that
\nfood education should start at home and continue in school. Here is Rucsandra
\nTopoloiu, a program coordinator with the Nutrition ABC Association with more:<\/p>\n
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In 2017 studies reveal that 12.4% of the
\ncountry’s population was affected by diabetes, with a 13.3% occurrence rate in
\nchildren. These figures were made public by the National Institute for Public
\nHealth. The main causes include the lack of food education and physical
\nexercise, and complications associated with diabetes can be very serious. If we
\nrefer to childhood obesity, the figures are worrisome. Statistics indicate that
\nRomania ranks 2nd at EU level in terms of childhood obesity, namely
\n1 in 4 children aged 8 is overweight, while 1 in 10 children is obese. Both
\noverweightedness and obesity are major factors associated with type 2 diabetes,
\nand quality nutrition is key to reducing childhood disease and preventing
\nchronic illness at an adult age. The main people responsible for children’s
\neating habits are parents, unfortunately. Both parents and children lack a
\nbalanced diet, eat processed foodstuffs, soft drinks rich in sugar, few fruit
\nand vegetables. All of this leads to a whole series of problems and diseases. <\/p>\n
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Many schools in
\nRomania are already running education programs and classes for a healthy
\nlifestyle. Since 2004 the Health Education optional class was introduced for
\nclasses 1 to 12. The Nutrition ABC Association also kicked off the program
\ndubbed The Nutrition Class, teaching children about healthy eating habits and
\nthe importance of open-air sports activities. Rucsandra Topoloiu:<\/p>\n
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In the autumn of 2016 we started the program in a few schools in Bucharest
\nand then we extended it to reach 2,200 school children in Bucharest and
\nConstanta, involving 11 elementary schools and two high schools. We created
\nmodules to teach children concepts about healthy lifestyle at an early age. Our
\nteam of trainers includes nutrition experts, doctors, pharmacy or medical
\nstudents who joined our action. On a volunteer basis, they give talks on
\nhealthy diets in schools during class forums for seven weeks in a row. We focus
\non the nutrition pyramid, the types of food that should represent the basis of
\nour diet, what we need to eat the most and what we should eat the least, the
\nrisks of eating too much sugar or processed foodstuffs. We also talk about the
\nimportance of water and hydration, the role of water, principles of a healthy
\nlifestyle, sports and food waste. <\/p>\n
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The educational
\nmodel fostered by the Nutrition ABC Association was designed jointly with
\nphysicians, nutrition experts, psychology and education experts. Classes are
\ninteractive and informal, meant to cover various types of learning, and the
\nchildren responded well to this kind of information, says Rucsandra Topoloiu:<\/p>\n
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\n
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The
\nproject addresses elementary schools and high schools, and we’ve been working
\nwith very young children, depending on the school and the availability of our
\ntrainers. Every time we are improving and adapting our information and provide
\npractical advice, interactive information, games and recommendations, so that
\nchildren may be able to put them into practice. We teach them what types of
\nfood go together, and talk them into giving up chips and sweets they buy at the
\nschool food stall, and try to pack their a snack or lunch at home. During our
\nprogram we work both with children and adults, including the teaching staff,
\nbecause we consider they serve as role models for the children. Additionally,
\nwe organize PTA meetings where we talk to parents about healthy eating habits.
\n<\/p>\n
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The Education
\nMinistry in cooperation with the Health Ministry announced the introduction of
\na new subject matter in Romanian schools, starting 2020, namely the optional
\nclass Health and Food Education. The provision is part of a series of
\nmodifications brought to the law on education, while the details of the new
\nsubject have not yet been made public. <\/p>\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Nutrition ABC Association is running an important awareness-raising program<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138836,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42997],"tags":[43754,43757,43756,43758,43755],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-143150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-today","tag-childhood-obesity","tag-food-education","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-nutrition-abc-association","tag-weight-gain"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n