Observatory to be set up to tackle childhood obesity
The Health Ministry is planning to set up a Nutrition Observatory through which it plans to design campaigns to tackle childhood obesity, which has seen a significant spike since the start of the crisis.
Figures show that 30 percent of children and teenagers in Greece are overweight, with a recent survey by the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity (HMAO) showing that 49 percent of 7-year-old boys and 45 percent of girls in the same age group are considered overweight by international standards.
The observatory will compile data on weight-gain patterns among different age groups and conduct studies on the nutritional habits of different segments of the population, examining how they make their food choices.
The plan also includes awareness-raising campaigns aimed at parents and educators, as well as promoting a program for distributing fresh fruit to school students.
