Aims to widen current knowledge to grasp how dietary choices are affected by social and cultural elements including believes and norms, such as injunctive and subjective norms.

Task 7.1.5.

Building on Tasks 7.1.1. to 7.1.4. this Task will develop behavioural models to profile and predict consumer’s choices explaining the mechanisms of change facilitating the adoption of healthy and sustainable diets and consumption patterns.

Task 7.2.4.

A set of specific interventions addressing healthy and sustainable eating (including food waste reduction etc.) in home settings delivered will be co-designed and then tested by engaging local users.

Task 7.4.3.

Building on task T7.2.3 and WPT7.3, and considering regional differences, this task will develop a set of policies aiming to promote a transition towards healthy and sustainable diets within schools focusing on local and culturally acceptable products and on the promotion of the values of the Mediterranean diet.

Project deliverables

D7.1.2.1.

Report on social determinants of consumers’ food management choices (M32)

D7.1.5.2.

Conceptual framework for economic, social, legal, psychological, and nutritional determinants of behavioural change (M20)

D7.2.4.1.

Report on tailored interventions’ design and testing for in home settings (M34)

D7.4.3.2

Strategic guidelines for the implementation of innovative nutrition and lifestyle educational models in public education institution (M36)

State of the art

Childhood obesity condition has increased 10 times in the last 40 years, representing one of the most important public health challenges of our century.

The overweight and obesity in children are conditions associated with several determinants, mostly related to dietary habits, physical activity, and environmental behavior.

To counteract childhood obesity, several prevention programs have been promoted, however evidence concerning their efficacy was contrasting, especially among the younger population and in the long term.

Moreover, due to the wide variety of interventions administered it is not clear which specific strategy (or combinations of strategies) was the most effective.

The LIVELY study aims 1) to assess the prevalence and the factors associated to childhood overweight and obesity; 2) to develop multidimensional strategies for prevention of childhood obesity by involving families and recognizing the role of schools as an environment for raising awareness on healthy and sustainable dietary patterns and lifestyle.

Operation plan

The study will combine expertise in multiple areas of nutrition and human health. This approach will involve children (6-11 years old), teachers and the families.

The educational interventions will consist in:

at least 2 workshops with nutritional biologists and dieticians, addressing subjects on correct and sustainable diet and lifestyle habits;
games (such as memory, goose’s game, etc.) to consolidate the healthy diet and correct lifestyle principles by playing and fun;
lifestyle Imagines/Portraits of everyday life. The activity includes an image production laboratory with the aim, on the one hand, of re-elaborating the acquisitions conveyed by the nutritionists, and on the other, of stimulating the class to use artistic techniques (by hand and digital) to tell their relationship with the food. The activity includes a first meeting in which the collection of images will be presented in the form of a call for images, a second meeting in which the tools for creating images in different ways and with different tools will be presented. The collected images, assembled with the video documentation of some fundamental stages of the project, will serve as an outline for the creation of a short film shared with the classes.

Expected results

If the educational interventions will be suitable and useful, they could be reproduced in other schools in order to spread the promotion of healthy and sustainable dietary habits and lifestyle among children and their families in the home-setting.

We expect to assess a wide range of factors possibly correlated to overweight/obesity in children that will allow us to improve a comprehensive knowledge of this increasing health concern worldwide.

We aim to stimulate public debate and sensitize schools, children, families and pediatricians to the emerging problem of childhood obesity. We will produce information materials and position papers to promote a healthier lifestyle.