Physical exercise and nutrition's role in the prevention of obesity-Educational interventions
MASTORA I., VALOTASSIOU C., MOLYVATOS S.

The social political conditions and the modern life style encourage the lack of physical activity and the inappropriate choice of foods. Emanation is the ongoing percentage of overweight and obese adults and children, recorded by the World Health Organization. Obesity is an important multi-factorial challenge of modern society and the main concern of the European Platform for Nutrition, Physical Activity and Health (European Food Information Council -EUFIC, 2006). The lack of exercise leads to biological decay. The regular -if possible- daily exercise strengthen the heart and energize the basic human metabolism leading to vigour and long life living. Through physical activity, the fatty tissue is decreasing, on the contrary of the muscular one. As a conclusion, it seems more important to adopt healthy exercise and nutrition habits for the adults and children weight reduce, instead of using special privative losing weight diets. Main axis of this article is active living in combination with a healthy nutrition for the prevention and treatment of obesity, emphasizing on preventing children obesity. The need of developing and applying sport and nutritional educational projects in the mainstream education through all the schools grades appears as a bounden duty. Schools have been proved as a vital environment for this educational intervention, since they have access to the majority of the children population (Flynn M.A.T. et al,, 2006). Practical positive changes in the nutritional and exercise attitudes are achieved through school, by providing healthy foodstuff in the school canteen and offering plenty of opportunities for physical activities across the school curriculum, the break as well as during the team plays after school. Schools ideally should act as a core for applying extensive programs for including the families and the society (Doak C.M. et al, 2006). The article explores pilot initiatives successfully applied that can work as a basis for further scientific research and development of future programs. In Greece, a sport educational program including nutritional guidelines was applied in 1998, following the recommendation of the International Foundation of Olympic and Sport Education to the National Pedagogical Institute within the frame of the Schools Network Applying Pilot projects (Arvaniti K., 2000). The national application of the program has been considered innovative and an appropriate educational model internationally valued. Its systematic scientific supervision and ongoing evaluation proved positive results in changing children attitudes and behaviors adopting active living and a healthy life style. Another significant national initiative was the educational project "Change your attitude- Become active" applied under the auspices of the National Ministry of Health and the International Foundation of Olympic and Sport Education, which was included in the national framework for the Development of Active living and Social Responsibility. It is a three years program addressed to children aged 5-12, including activities especially designed for the Greek public, according to the contemporary family needs. The program includes actions such as television educational campaign, workshops, outdoor activities, events and scientific research, educational publications for elementary school pupils aiming at encouraging children, their families as well as their teachers to adopt balanced nutrition and active participation. The awareness campaign continues with the pioneer educational health program "Life has color", under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, initiating prevention since the very early school age. The campaign "Life has color" is followed by the development of educational and scientific materials to be distributed to Greek schools all over across the country. The European Commission realizing and acknowledging the enormous educational and social contribution and imperativeness of physical activity, assigned 2004 as " European Year of Education through sports" and proposed a series of encouraging initiatives for the member states, in order to disseminate Sport and Olympic Education, such as international meetings, European School contests, sports and educational events, voluntary work, awareness and promotional campaigns in cooperation with the Mass Media and finally financial support for national and international initiatives. Additionally, the European Platform for Nutrition, Physical Exercise and Health serves this mission and disseminates good practices in the member states of the European Union.

Key words: Dietetics behavior, active living, physical activity, energy balance, prevention, educational intervention, healthy education, and personal responsibility.