Amsterdam is leading the way in the battle to end obesity by effectively dropping the number of overweight and obese children by 12% between 2012 and 2015.
What did they do?
They implemented a program that included cutting sugary juice and banning birthday sugar fests at school, as well as educating parents on the importance of sleep and how it relates to obesity.
Read the full article here: Amsterdam’s Solution to the Obesity Crisis: No Fruit Juice and Enough Sleep
“All children have to bring water or milk to school,” he said. “No juice. A lot of parents were really upset. We had really hard discussions with them.” The parents thought juice or even squash was healthier, assuming they contained fruit. The teachers told them about the sugar. “I told them we were doing them a favour. They could have water at school and then juice at home. Now it’s normal – not a problem.”
Sometimes all it takes is a little education and encouragement… go figure!
