We have to lose weight!

We are not born with a healthy diet

Enjoy cooking - that's what a "Happy Meal" should look like! But the reality in our kitchens is very different!

(Bild: Valerii Apetroaiei - stock.adobe)

Today is "Healthy Eating Day" - an important topic that should actually be with us 365 days a year. But everyday life is different. Austrians eat twice as much sweet and fatty food as their bodies need - this not only has serious consequences on the scales, but also shortens our healthy lifespan.

Actually, the belt on the waistband should be tightened more and more due to inflation, but the opposite is the case. More than half of men and women in Austria weigh too many kilos - the step from "a bit of hip gold" to dangerous obesity passes as quickly as the waiting time in the drive-in at the Schachtelwirt. 

XXL in the nursery
But things are no better for our children and adolescents either, with almost a third considered overweight or even obese - and the trend is rising sharply. This poses a major health risk for the next generation: anyone who is too fat at a young age is more likely to develop diabetes, cancer and many other diseases than a person of normal weight - not to mention the psychological burden. 

Overweight and obesity affect almost a third of children in the WHO Europe region. It is important to take countermeasures at a young age!

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

You are what you eat!
Everyone knows that one of the main causes of obesity is poor nutrition. Especially when the diet consists mainly of foods that contain a lot of sugar and fat. However, this eating behavior is often even encouraged in our schools, as quick hunger pangs are satisfied with sausage sandwiches, pizza slices and chocolate donuts. Healthy alternatives are usually sought in vain at the school buffet, but these would not only be good for the figure, but would also have a significant positive impact on the performance of our pupils. 

You are what you eat! What you put on your plate also determines your performance at school!

(Bild: Land schafft Leben, Krone KREATIV)

Knowledge transfer at schools
Maria Fanninger, who campaigns for better food in local schools with her association "Land schafft Leben", says: "All you can eat' is only possible with one food: vegetables. But we eat far too little of them and far too much of sweet and fatty foods. Combined with too little exercise, this is the formula for weight gain in children".

Maria Fanninger and Hannes Royer made it onto the podium at the Podcast Award with their podcast "Wer nichts weiß muss alles essen".

(Bild: Hitradio Ö3/ Mila Zytka)

But where can we start?
In order to prevent the number of overweight children from continuing to rise so rapidly, something needs to change not only at the school buffet, but also in the curriculum: "If I don't know what a healthy diet looks like, I can't eat healthily," says Fanninger.

Food makes school

• In order to create greater awareness of food, the "Land schafft Leben" association provides teachers with free teaching materials on food knowledge, nutrition education and consumer skills.
• This can be used at all school levels and in a variety of subjects and offers teachers added value, particularly with regard to the future stronger anchoring of nutrition, consumption and environmental topics in the curriculum.

Foundation stone in childhood
"Not everyone has the privilege of learning about food and nutrition from their parents. That's why this must be taught at school. After all, every child has the right to know how to maintain a healthy diet and what risks a poor diet entails - regardless of where they come from and how they grew up," says the likeable expert Fanninger. 

Our children are getting fatter and fatter, the figures are alarming.

(Bild: Land schafft Leben, Krone KREATIV)

"Proper nutrition" should be part of the curriculum
A look at the healthy years of life also shows that it is high time for such measures in Austria. By definition, these are the years in which a person lives in good health and without any impairments.

Healthy into old age
According to Eurostat, the average Austrian spends just 61 healthy years of life - and that's with a life expectancy of over 80 years. This means that we spend a quarter of our lives in poor health.

Healthy into old age - you have to lay the foundations for this yourself!

(Bild: Land schafft Leben, Krone KREATIV)

So the signs are clear! The foundation for our health is laid in our own kitchen - and at a young age. This makes it all the more important to impart this knowledge to our children and to set an example - both at school and in everyday family life. 

Ripcord instead of gastric band
The current trend towards omnipresent malnutrition will also place a massive burden on our healthcare system. Politicians are called upon to integrate the right measures and content into the curriculum. After all, if Hans eats too much, he may not lose any more weight. But he should at least know about it.