Description
The project is important due to increasingly unhealthy lifestyle, excessive body weight and obesity in society. Despite the fact that Slovenia has set up and organised a system of school nutrition, included gym in the regular curriculum, and introduced systematic preventive medical examinations, obesity among children and youth continues to rise. The main objective of the project is thus to decrease and prevent lifestyle-related diseases. Specific project objectives include: initiation of effective inter-ministerial cooperation and introduction of environment supporting a healpothy lifestyle, education programmes and non-medicinal treatment of obesity. Furthermore, the project aims to introduce innovative approaches, tools and programmes for reducing obesity, and carry out pilot trials in all 12 Slovenian statistical regions. The project also includes the provision of training for over 400 professionals. Project outcomes include: the development and testing of inter-disciplinary prevention teams within the education sector (48), health/medical sector (12), social sector (12) and the local communities (12) with the aim of supporting a healthy lifestyle; and innovative intervention programmes for non-medicinal treatment of obesity among children, youth and adults (3).
Summary of project results
Despite the fact that Slovenia has organised a system of school nutrition, included gym in the regular curriculum, and introduced systematic prevention medical examinations, obesity among children and youth continues to rise. The project represents a significant contribution to the introduction of effective and sustainable inter-disciplinary and inter-ministerial connections at all levels with the objective to provide support to a healthy lifestyle, prevention and non-medicinal treatment of obesity, as well as preservation of healthy bodyweight of children, youth and adults in different environments. The main objective of the project was to decrease and prevent unhealthy lifestyle related diseases. Specific project objectives included initiation of effective inter-ministerial cooperation and introduction of environment supporting a healthy lifestyle, education programmes and non-medicinal treatment of obesity. Furthermore, the project aimed to introduce innovative approaches, tools and programmes for reducing obesity, and carried out pilot trials in all statistical regions in Slovenia. Deficiencies of the current education system, provision of school nutrition, physical education and extra-curricular activities were analysed. Innovative intervention programs (non-medicinal treatment), tools and approaches for increasing healthy nutrition and physical activity, as well as preventing and treating obesity for children and youth were developed, implemented and tested. A complete innovative model for assurance of a healthy lifestyle with a special focus on nutrition, physical activity, prevention and treatment of obesity in children youth and adults, and the reduction of inequalities in health (proposal for improving the efficiency of the current system) through dissemination was evaluated and prepared. Project outcomes included the development and testing of inter-disciplinary prevention teams within the education sector (48), health/medical sector (12), social sector (12) and the local communities (12) with the aim to support a healthy lifestyle; and innovative intervention programmes for non-medicinal treatment of obesity for children, youth and adults (3). The project thus aimed to provide innovative inter-disciplinary and system solutions for sustainable support of a healthy lifestyle and decrease or eliminate the problem of obesity. The project also included the development and implementation of adequate undergraduate and postgraduate curricular content for education and research staff. In the project, over 500 professionals were trained.
Summary of bilateral results