Obesity in children is not something we should take lightly. It has been said to cause various psychological, social, and health problems in kids and, while it is the primary responsibility of the parents to address any health issues their children are dealing with, schools should also invest in the well-being of their students. In fact, a recent study published in The Cochrane Library has found that obesity in children can be avoided with the right school programs.

"There is now compelling evidence that strategies can be implemented to halt the growing rates of obesity in children. We know that doing nothing is likely to result in increases of overweight and obesity, particularly in countries where the prevalence continues to rise," said the Professor Elizabeth Waters, lead author of the study.

Looking at the progress of children aged 6 to 12 enrolled in schools with active health programs, Waters and the rest of the researchers were able to find evidence that investing in such programs can do wonders for the students’ health. "Our findings show that obesity prevention is worth investing in. Given the range of programmes included in this review, it is hard to say exactly which components are the best, but we think the strategies to focus on are those that seek to change environments, rather than just the behaviour of individuals," Waters stated.

Not only should schools tackle the issue of nutrition in kids’ everyday lunchboxes, they should also increase the amount of physical activity involved in the students’ daily classes. Teachers themselves are advised to learn more about proper nutrition as well. Overall, the schools must provide an environment conducive to healthy eating habits otherwise the chances of the students growing up obese are highly likely.

For more on children and obesity, check these out on FN:

• New Study: Obesity Can Be Predicted in Preschoolers + 5 Tips to Get Kids to Eat Healthier
• Overweight Kids Today May Have Difficulty Fitting in Years Later

(Photo by a2td via sxc.hu)