Obesity is a disease. People who are seriously overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes or heart problems. Despite social campaigns and campaigns that show what can lead to not sticking to a rational diet, not much can be changed. And there is something to fight with! 60 percent adult Poles are overweight, and our children gain weight the fastest in Europe. Does the National Center for Nutrition Education, which is just starting, have a chance to make a difference?
The impulse to establish the NCEŻ was the success of the “Keep the balance” project conducted in 2011-2016. Thanks to the dissemination of knowledge about healthy eating and physical activity, it was possible to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity in schools and reach millions of consumers.
As part of the project, 12 pregnant and breastfeeding women were also educated, making 400 percent of of them kept weight gain within the normal range, and 87 percent. also had a normal weight 78 months after giving birth.
Although the project turned out to be a great success, the observations made during its duration clearly showed that Poles do not really know how to eat and how much physical activity has a huge impact on health. If we are already starting to look for information, we first look on the Internet, and the quality of knowledge that ends up on the Internet is very different. Thus, there are many myths and false information about healthy eating in society. As experts emphasize, if we do not act and tell Poles what obesity can lead to, we will not be able to afford treatment of its effects, i.e. cancer, heart disease or metabolic diseases.
However, we are glad that Poles are becoming more and more interested in a healthy lifestyle. They want to be more active and eat well. It is with them in mind that the National Center for Nutritional Education was established. The platform is to provide reliable knowledge, supported by appropriate research and presented in an understandable way. Everyone who visits the website will be able to get expert advice or dispel their doubts.
On the NCEŻ website (www.ncez.pl) you can find comprehensive information on both nutrition during pregnancy and the nutritional needs of children, athletes or people who just want to eat healthy. There is also a section for food producers and short film interviews with experts on, for example, vegetarianism, nutrition during the examination session, thyroid disease or diet that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
From the website of the Center you can also download free applications for smartphones and tablets concerning nutrition, such as “Assistant of Healthy Nutrition” and “Healthy Mother” for pregnant women. Special calculators allow you to calculate the body mass index (BMI) and caloric content of meals.