Are Healthy Eating Programmes Effective in schools?

Abstract

A successful healthy eating programme which is introduced to children and families in education can have positive and pro-long effects, changing their attitudes and assumptions towards foods in the future (Moyse, 2009).

The main objective regarding this study was to identify whether the government’s attempts to eradicate childhood obesity, medical diseases relating to diet and improve health education for children, through healthy eating programmes within schools have been successful or not.
Healthy eating programmes have been implemented within settings across the U.K. which help children and their parents recognize the potential benefits of healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle.
Within this study two focus groups of Teachers and Parents were used to identify how successful healthy eating programmes were in their place of work or Child’s educational setting.
Teachers and a range of parents were from two different schools, one being in an advanced area, and the other in a deprived area. Geographic evidence was collected to distinguish both areas the schools were in.
Interviews were conducted with both teachers and questionnaires were sent out for parents.
The study found the government are having a subsequent influence upon children and their families in promoting healthy eating and an active lifestyle however, settings are failing to have effective parent partnerships with one another which make one important aim of working alongside parent’s lapse, within these programmes.
Also the quality of support staff are giving parents is not sufficient or influential to them.
Although both schools were from two separate areas no sufficient evidence was found which suggested environmental factors or families from different socio economic status feed their children any differently from one another.
Chapter 1