SOCIETY

The design of the program was based on European recommendations for nutrition education of European Network of Health Promoting Schools and the World Health Organization guidelines, taking into account details of the official national bodies related to the area of ​​health promotion and education. The educational program designed is based on a systematic approach to promoting proper nutrition standards, and has been under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and has received the approval of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.

Development and implementation of the program was carried out in two phases:

• During the first phase (2006-2014), an integrated educational material for teachers and students was created, covering 16 educational hours. The material included a brochure, teacher training materials, cd-rom and notebooks for students with activities and games, a specially designed fairytale and a board game.
• During the second phase, from 2015 until today, following modern trends in education, the program was renewed. The operation now takes place through a specially formatted digital educational platform, which enables the implementation of a wide range of thematics and activities throughout the year. This evolution of the program will give the opportunity of participation to a greater number of schools nationwide, greatly increasing the impact and results.

For the successful implementation of this program there have been significant challenges, such as the specificities of the eating habits of each region, the diversity of the needs of each child, as well as the multiple collaborations of different entities and schools. Results exceeded all challenges and the program is viewed as an example of a successful partnership of private and public initiative with scientific institutions to meet an important social need, such as the treatment of childhood obesity.