NIJMEGEN – In Nijmegen, 14% of young people are overweight. This percentage has probably increased slightly since the corona period. This is evident from a debate memorandum from D66, which also states what possible solutions could be to reduce this percentage.
Being overweight can have major disadvantages in social life. For example, if you are overweight, it is difficult to participate in some activities. Young people who are overweight are tired more quickly, which makes sports more difficult. It is also possible that these young people are bullied more often, have less connection with peers and have a greater chance of depression, for example. According to D66, this is very worrying.
Health risks can also play a role in the lives of overweight people. There is a greater chance of contracting cardiovascular disease and diabetes, breathing problems and more problems with movement. These are some of the risks of being overweight.
Possible solutions
Eating is one of the biggest problems for overweight young people. The eye of young people quickly falls on unhealthy things, because unhealthy things are of course very tasty. But if you only eat unhealthy things, you are more likely to become overweight. If it is up to D66, young people will soon no longer receive greasy sandwiches at a sporting event, but a bowl of pieces of fruit.
Everything in school canteens must also become healthier, the party believes. This has been increasingly the case in recent years. But if there are alternatives nearby, such as supermarkets, young people usually still opt for that.
As a solution, D66 wants to make everything healthier in the city. For example, they want fast food chains to be as far away from schools as possible and the layout of the city to comply with health considerations.
