TACKLING ADOLESCENT OBESITY AND PROMOTING INCLUSION THROUGH NUTRITION TRAININGS FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH Erasmus Project

Project Title

TACKLING ADOLESCENT OBESITY AND PROMOTING INCLUSION THROUGH NUTRITION TRAININGS FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Health and wellbeing; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Nearly 1 in 4 adolescents are overweight or obese in Europe. Tackling obesity is not as simple as telling people to exercise more or eat less. Obesity is the problem of a society full of aggressive marketing, body shaming, and bullying towards obese people. This epidemic is not only affecting adults but also children and adolescents, due to a worldwide shift in diet towards foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar, paired with a decline in physical activity.

It is, therefore, necessary to address this problem from an early age. For this reason, the main objective of the project is to train adolescent students, aged 15 to 18, and school educators across Europe to pursue a healthy diet and provide them with the proper tools to make better decisions on the food they consume.

The project’s goals include persuading participants of the importance of paying attention to the composition of daily-consumed food products (quantity of free sugars, trans fats, salt, etc.) and teach students how to read and understand nutrition labels. The education material provides educators with the tools needed to navigate the social and mental health implications of adolescent obesity in their classrooms. In addition, the project encourages the social inclusion of disadvantaged students and students suffering from eating disorders or health conditions.

The project is coordinated by SAFE- Safe Food Advocacy Europe and involves partners coming from very diverse horizons: 1 European network specialized in the field of nutrition and adolescent obesity, 2 national obese patient associations, 1 University, 1 association that gathers nutritionists and dietitians experts on plant-based diets, 1 psychologist expert on obesity-related matters, and 3 high schools in which training are tested.

In order to raise awareness regarding obesity-related problems in adolescents and their families, the project partners have worked together to create three intellectual outputs covering nutritional education:
– IO1: A Student’s Handbook
– IO2: An E-learning platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices on obesity management, healthy lifestyle, nutrition information
– IO3: A Teachers’ Manual

These three intellectual outputs are available in English, French, Greek, and Italian to be implemented in schools and successfully tested in the schools in Greece and Italy. Thanks to the creation of these education materials, our project expects to be implemented in as many schools as possible in Europe to increase dialogue on the issue of adolescent obesity and create a more well-rounded e-learning program for educators to better counsel them on adolescent obesity and related issues.

Project Website

http://meet-tao.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 319059,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Safe Food Advocacy Europe & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Amici Obesi onlus Associazione Nazionale Pazienti Obesi
• AdipositasHilfe Deutschland e.V.
• The European Childhood Obesity Group
• Liceo Scientifico Statale Enrico Fermi
• UNIWERSYTET RZESZOWSKI
• Athenee Royal de la Rive Gauche
• DOUKA EKPAIDEFTIRIA AE – PALLADION LYKEION EKFPAIDEUTHRIA DOUKA