letter to NGO to orange a awareness programme to develop healthy eating habits among the students
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Answer:
Explanation:
Lack of physical activity
The WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health recognises physical activity as
one of the main risk factors for noncommunicable diseases and consequently the burden of
overweight and obesity. Particular attention is given to concerns regarding the unhealthy diet,
lack of physical activity and energy imbalances in children and adolescents (WHO, 2004b).
Physical activity is believed to be an important factor determining the weight of children.
Activity levels among children and adolescents are low. Sedentary behaviours, i.e. playing
electronic games, are the general norm and are believed to be directly associated with obesity
(Stettler et al., 2004).
In addition, inactive children and adolescents who consume small amounts of food may
compromise the range of nutrients they consume and fail to meet requirements. To maintain a
healthy weight, children and adolescents need to balance energy intake and expenditure.
1.4 Eating habits
The fundamental issues behind public health concerns for young people are the changes in food
habits that have developed as a result of the globalisation of food. Over the past few decades
significant changes have taken place in eating habits and home environments.
The increase in families with two working parents and time limitations has led to the
‘convenience revolution’ with pre-packed processed products forming the basis of the majority
of meals prepared in the home. The tendency to ‘eat out’ has also risen (St-Onge, Keller &
Heymsfield, 2003). This was demonstrated in Finland where approximately one third of the
population consume one meal per day outside of the home (Finnish National Nutrition
Surveillance System, 1999). The opportunity for children to learn and develop basic food skills
at home are declining at the same time as cooking skills are being removed from school
curriculum due to increasing time and cost factors. Many children and adolescents grow up
without learning the basic skills of how to provide for a healthy diet. Eating out may be the only
option for feeding themselves with which they are familiar, encouraging the consumption of
large portions of meals and snacks with unknown calorific and nutrient content (James, 2002).
Snacking is often associated with skipping breakfast. Research has shown that skipping breakfast
increases impulsive snacking on foods high in sugar and fat (Schlundt et al., 1992), so the fact
that on average only 69% of boys and 60% of girls have breakfast every morning on school days
might contribute to the extensive consumption of high sugar foods (WHO, 2004a). In addition,
skipping breakfast leads to mid-morning fatigue and may interfere with learning (WHO, 2004a).
The consumption of snack products high in energy, fat, sugar and salt may be responsible for the
decline in fruit and vegetable consumption evidenced in recent research. Results from the WHO
international study Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) (2004) show that on
average fruit and vegetable consumption in children and adolescents is very low: only 30% of
boys and 37% of girls reported eating fruit daily and less than 50% of all young people report
eating vegetables daily (28% of boys and 34% of girls). In 16 countries and regions, over 25% of
ood and nutrition
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