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Eating and drinking have to be learned

Eating habits are acquired skills. The baby learns that he will be fed if he screams long enough. The toddler learns that she will get sweets to console her when she has hurt herself. The pupil learns that an evening on the sofa in front of the television includes crisps and coke, and alcohol for the adults.

Parents and family have the biggest influence on the eating habits of their children. The children will copy their parents' behaviour. Every child learns to like or dislike certain foods and drinks, depending on what mum and dad like or dislike. Children learn to have a proper breakfast or "not to be able to eat anything in the mornings". They learn to think about their figure when thinking about food. They learn to eat or drink "power nutrients" to grow extra muscles and they learn to appreciate either fresh food and home-made meals or fast food - it all depends on the habits of their family.

Family traditions and culture also play a very important part when it comes to eating and drinking habits. Children learn to eat or drink certain kinds of food and drinks and to avoid others - all depending on what country they live in and what cultural or religious background they grow up with. Completely different eating habits can therefore result in a balanced diet - or not.

Further aspects influencing children's eating habits:

  • supply of food available
  • status and income of their family
  • advertisements
  • social environment
  • important role models (teacher, coach)
  • fashions and trends
  • messages by politicians and environmental organisations

Since the parents' influence on their children's eating habits is so great, it is vital to cooperate with the parents when dealing with nutrition. No child can change his or her eating habits - or his or her exercising habits for that matter - without regular, long-term support by the parents or any other person looking after the child.

Practical help

This is how we eat, drink and exercise at home
Pupils describe their different eating habits, collect traditional family recipes, exchange their favourite meals and recipes and talk about activities and sports their families might practise.
Don't forget, though: Talking about family habits and traditions must be handled very carefully and sensibly. No child should be discriminated against because of his or her family background. If necessary, the significance of people's backgrounds can be illustrated by using examples of celebrities or examples from other walks of life.

School breakfast with parents
Eating habits are learned within the family and cannot be changed without their sustainable support. It is therefore particularly important to include the parents when talking about a healthy diet. Schools could organise a school breakfast once a month on a Saturday, together with the parents. If classes and teachers take turns in organising the event, it should be feasible without too much hassle. The breakfast could be enriched by short presentations and/or practical exercises to do with questions of nutrition and/or sports.

How does Europe eat, drink and exercise?
Pupils collect information on eating habits and traditional or popular sports in other countries and cultures. They could carry out their research by talking to friends and pupils from other countries, by contacting partner schools abroad and by reading books and searching the Internet. The results will be presented in writing and/or at an international breakfast get-together under the motto "How balanced is the diet in other countries?"

 

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