Seventh edition starts today
The perception of families and teachers of students in the first year of basic education at Missão Continente School reveals that, in the last school year, there was an increase in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by 12% and 9%, respectively, and a decrease in the intake of soft drinks by 11%, according to the results obtained by students who participated in this educational program in the academic year 2021/202. The study of the impact of the program on children’s health will continue until 2025 and aims to further evaluate the effects of the program on children’s lifestyles and analyze progress in childhood obesity.
Mission Continente School (EMC), whose seventh edition begins todayis, for the first time, evaluating the impact on 40 CEB categories, from 35 schools in 20 districts of the country, over 4 consecutive years (2021-2025), becoming one of the integrated studies in nutrition and community health, with greater dispersal , in Portugal.
In the first year of evaluation, there was a prevalence of 28.1% of being overweight among the participants, 10% being obese, and values just below the national averages (29.7% and 11.9%, respectively). Childhood Obesity Monitoring Initiative – COSI Portugal Study. Regarding the dietary habits of the 764 children included, evaluations with them, schools and families showed that 62.5% consumed fresh fruit every day and 58.7% consumed vegetables every day, but less than 20% (17.9%) consumed. Fish 4 to 6 times a week and only 8.1% consume legumes daily. For breakfast, almost half of the students (45.9%) eat breakfast cereals up to 3 times per week.
After participating in the program, families of this group of children highlighted an increase in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by 12% and 9%, respectively, and a decrease in the intake of soft drinks by 11%.
About these eating habits, Anna Rito, Chair of the Board and on behalf of the team of nutrition experts who coordinate and implement the study by the Center for Studies and Research in Social Dynamics and Health (CEIDSS), comments:There is still a long way to go if we are to combat one of the most prevalent diseases of childhood – childhood obesity.And the One in three children is overweight” Is that “This is a very important program to counter this trend and improve the eating habits of children, especially given these first results. We want kids with more health knowledge, more awareness of their food, and more willingness to make healthy choices, so they can grow up healthy.”
Mission Continente School, established in 2016, educates students in First Cycle of Basic Education (CEB) about healthy eating, conscious consumption and an active lifestyle. To date, the program has involved more than 100,000 children. Since the 2021-2022 school year, it began to cover pre-school students and students of the second stage of basic education. In each edition, participants have access to content, educational activities, challenges (with associated prizes), educational entertainment, and field visits.
Schools interested in participating in the project can register from today, September 20, through October 16, on the Mission Continente website. missao.continente.pt/escola
“The last school year was a milestone in the history of the Missão Continente School, because after half a decade of getting to know and sensitize the first cycle students, we decided to go ahead and include preschool and cycle two in the programme, because we feel that we are already at that level of maturity for the initiative. We believe that the mission of the Continente School is a program relevant to the entire national food retail sector, and even to civil society globally, because we are directly involved with consumers and customers in the future. As a brand, we are moving towards a healthier and more sustainable diet, with nutritional improvement of products and customer awareness, but there is something very powerful in the potential and responsibility that these children and young people will have when it is their turn to decide what to eat and what to buy, to educate their families, to influence their social circle with the choices they will make“, says Nadia Reis, Director of Communication and Social Responsibility at Continente.The fact that we are conducting the first impact measurement study of this kind in the country, to assess the true impact of the program, is the clearest sign that we are committed to positively and profoundly impacting the lives and future of these children and theirs. long-term families‘, he adds.
The Mission Continente School as institutional partners includes the Directorate General of Health, CEIDSS – Center for Studies and Research in Social Dynamics and Health, the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João (CHUSJ), the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Porto and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and institutional support from General Directorate of Education.
Video summary of the 2021/22 edition From Continente Mission School over here.
Pictures From the end of the year event 22/2021 From Continente Mission School over here
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