Nutrition
Proper and healthy nutrition is the basis of a child's healthy development
- Hrvatski
- English
Challenge
Proper nutrition is one of the foundations of the healthy development of children. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to enjoy the highest possible level of health, which includes the right to adequate food of high nutritional value.
Nevertheless, today all countries of the world, including Croatia, are facing an increase in the proportion of children with excessive body weight and obesity. Today, children around the world grow up in environments that encourage unhealthy eating habits and do not sufficiently promote healthy eating. Many children consume too much highly processed food with a high content of saturated fat, trans fatty acids, free sugars or salt. Such eating habits, combined with the trend of less physical activity among children, can lead to numerous negative and long-term consequences for their health and development.
Croatia records a constant increase in overweight and obesity among children. Today, every third child of primary school age in Croatia is overweight or obese. Obesity in childhood is a major public health challenge and represents a risk for impaired lifelong health and the development of numerous chronic non-communicable diseases.
Solution
The vision of the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030 is "a world in which all children, adolescents and women realize their right to nutrition". This vision is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes the right of every child to adequate nutrition. UNICEF's goal is to promote nutrition, services and practices that support optimal nutrition, growth and development for all children, adolescents and women.
In order to create and implement effective programs that will influence the creation of an environment in which healthy nutrition for children comes first and try to prevent the trend of overweight and obesity among children in Croatia, it is crucial to know the situation and the numerous influences of the environment on children. Therefore, UNICEF supports the collection of data and the improvement of knowledge and skills of professionals, parents, caregivers and children. In cooperation with the Croatian Institute of Public Health, the Analysis of the state of nutrition of children aged 0-9 years in the Republic of Croatia was prepared, which provides an overview of data and trends from research on nutrition of children. The analysis also contains recommendations for the improvement of policies and practices for the development of a stimulating food environment and the promotion of healthy nutrition for children in Croatia.
UNICEF, in cooperation with partners, supports the implementation of programs, services and practices that promote adequate and proper nutrition for healthy development, throughout all stages of a child's life. An important area of UNICEF's activity is advocating policies and measures aimed at improving the nutritional environment in which they grow up, which includes protecting children from the harmful effects of food and beverage marketing.
UNICEF's action plan aimed at preventing overweight and obesity in children in Croatia includes:
- strengthening the data collection system on children's diet and food environment in Croatia,
- support to the health and education system in promoting healthy eating and prevention of excessive body weight and obesity,
- supporting parents, caregivers and children and promoting healthy eating and physical activity,
- support in promoting breastfeeding (Baby-friendly maternity wards, Human Milk Bank and other initiatives),
- contribution to the development of the framework for the regulation of food and beverage marketing for the purpose of preserving health and preventing overweight and obesity in children in Croatia.