The Role of Nutrition Education in School-age Children in the Prevention of Global Obesity Epidemic

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The scientific field of nutrition education in schools is not expandly studied. METHODS: This research adopted the literature review of 17 studies about nutrition, healthy eating, and the relationship between students and teachers. RESULTS: In total 6 countries have been overviewed (Finland, Canada, Latin America's countries, Norway, France, and Japan) and Lithuania which is given as an example with very little information. Most subjects were children; however, there is information about youth, adolescents, and pre-school teachers. According to the data few studies showed beneficial and positive results about nutrition education which exists, but other studies defined negative information or no information about nutrition education only about outcomes from no nutritional education or bad influences around schools, like mobile vendors that increase obesity and bad nutritional habits in children. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education poses a crucial key role in all scales of education system in terms of the prevention of global obesity epidemic. Extended epidemiological surveys are needed for achieving updated scientific data.