The research shows that with the introduction of a healthy school lunch in combination with more physical activity at school, the percentage of overweight children aged 4 to 18 years could drop from 13.5% to 10.2% in 2040, and children with obesity from 2.8% to 2.3%. This means that the ambitions of the National Prevention Agreement for overweight and obese children in 2040 can be largely achieved.
Parents, children and primary schools are positive about a healthy school lunch and more exercise at school to combat obesity. The costs for a lunch at school are 2.40 euros per day and in combination with extra exercise activities 4.50 euros per day. Parents indicate that they want to pay 1.75 euros per day per child for this. Because this does not cover all costs, additional financial support is required.
Having a healthy lunch together at school can be done well by having children prepare a healthy lunch at school themselves. In addition, children eat more fruit, vegetables and brown bread and drink more milk and water and fewer sugary drinks. A caterer can be hired to organize such a lunch or schools can do it themselves. Good coordination is then a requirement.
More exercise at school can be done, for example, by inserting more exercise moments between lessons. For extra sports and games, the help of after-school staff and neighborhood sports coaches from municipalities can be called in.
The research was commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport by RIVM, Maastricht University, Wageningen University & Research and VU University Amsterdam as a result of previous successful regional projects with healthy school lunches and more physical activity in primary education.
More information can be found in the report Healthier in primary school: school lunches and more exercise on the RIVM website.
Copyright ©2020 AgriHolland B.V.
–
