Nestlé and Healthy Traditions Foundation join forces for “Granny’s Health Bag” to tackle child nutrition

The Healthy Traditions Foundation announces the resumption of registrations for the complementary training program “Granny’s Health Bag – Education for a healthy lifestyle”, part of the program of the same name launched in 2012 and supported by Nestlé, the largest product company food, and beverages. The success of the program speaks for itself: the number of obese children in participating urban schools fell from 11% in 2018 to below 7% in 2021.

Developing healthy habits among children requires the coordinated efforts of teachers, parents, and health professionals. Granny’s Health Bag offers the opportunity to train teaching staff in the field of nutrition and balanced lifestyle through the training course “Granny’s Health Bag – Education for a Healthy Lifestyle” approved by the Ministry of Health. Teachers can register here.

The Granny’s Health Bag program, which this year celebrates 12 years since its launch, is the only obesity prevention program that includes the following: Optional discipline, Granny’s Health Bag – Education for a healthy lifestyle, based on a scientifically rigorous educational package; Teacher training course for the optional discipline approved by the Ministry of Education (18-20 CPT) supported by renowned specialists; Free nutrition counselling for children and adolescents with obesity by obesity specialists.

“Last year, over 10,000 children between the ages of 5 and 10 from 70 schools in five counties participated in the educational activities of the Granny’s Health Bag program, initiated in Iasi, in 2012, by the Healthy Traditions Foundation. The optional discipline “ Granny’s Health Bag – education for a healthy lifestyle” is proposed at the national level for the preschool and school education cycle, the program is open to any school or kindergarten in Romania, and the teacher training course to teach this complementary discipline was approved by the Ministry of Education”, according to Prof. Univ. Dr. Veronica Mocanu, the founder of the Granny’s Health Bag project.

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The results of this program are based on measurements made by medical personnel engaged in education, present in the participating schools. Thus, an anthropometric measurement (height, body mass and abdominal circumference) carried out in 2022 on 1,500 children between the ages of 5 and 10, participants in the program “Granny’s Health Bag – Education for a healthy lifestyle” reveals imbalances major in their nutritional status.

Surprisingly, only 44% of children aged 5 to 10 in rural areas have an appropriate weight for their age and height, while in urban areas, they represent almost 60% of the total. Almost 33% of children from rural areas are underweight, respectively 20% of those from urban areas. In contrast, 8% of rural children are overweight and another 15% are obese. In the urban environment, the situation is as follows: almost 14% are overweight and almost 7% are obese.

“The objective of this optional approved by the ministry and supported through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids global initiative, is the formation of healthy behaviours and the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases, in the context in which in Romania, as worldwide, the obesity epidemic represents a real danger for public health. We are proud to be associated with a project that has become a model of good practice for the rest of Europe​”, says Nicoleta Tupiță, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Manager Nestlé Romania, Bulgaria and Adriatic countries.

The Granny’s Health Bag program won the 2020 EU Health Award, in the Healthy Lifestyle for Cities category, and is internationally recognized, being included in the international Youth Health Community (YHC) network, alongside programs from over 10 countries. At the Global Obesity Forum (New York, 2012), the Granny’s Health Bag Program was awarded the first prize for the best childhood obesity prevention activity.

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids global initiative, joined the Granny’s Health Bag project run by the Foundation for Healthy Traditions in 2019 as a lead partner, aiming to support national adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

Granny’s Health Bag is a healthy food project for children whose mission is to train children and young people in healthy habits regarding food and lifestyle, promoting local traditions and culture. The objectives of the Foundation for Healthy Traditions are to encourage the adoption of a balanced diet, to promote physical activity, to provide services to help overweight patients manage their weight, to support and promote actions and research projects related to health, to cultivate and promote cultural traditions which can lead to the formation of healthy habits.