The importance of the school environment in the prevention of childhood obesity goes beyond the menu offered in the canteens. According to Larissa Mattar, nutritionist of the ICR-HC-FMUSP endocrinopeciatric service, during CNN Vital Signseducational institutions play a key role in children’s nutritional education, especially considering that they spend much of the day at school.
The expert points out that many, with predominance of savory, snacks and sodas. Even schools that offer main meals such as lunch and dinner, often do not have a properly balanced nutritional composition.
Successful experience in Recife
An initiative held in Recife demonstrated the positive potential for changes in school feeding. The project included songwriters training and complete reformulation of the menu, incorporating healthy fruits and foods. In addition, children received guidance on healthy eating during classes and could find these same foods available in Recreation. As Durval Damiani said, head of the pediatric endocrinology of ICR-HC-FMUSP.
The success of the initiative was so significant that it attracted the attention of families from other schools, who expressed interest in enrolling their children in the institutions participating in the project. Children not only learned about healthy eating but also became agents of change in their own homes, sharing knowledge with their parents.
Mattar points out that, in addition to improving snacks and meals, it is crucial to include. Through disciplines and playful activities, the, developing autonomy to make more conscious food choices, even when exposed to less healthy options.
