Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Nutrition policy, food and drinks at school and after school care

International Journal of Obesity volume 29, pages S58–S61 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of the paper is to describe food and drinks available in food stands or cantina at Danish schools and food and drinks provided at after school care institutions in Denmark.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The survey was performed in 1999 and self-administered postal questionnaires were sent to all private and public schools and all after school care institutions in Denmark. The participation rate was 70 at schools and 66 at after school care institutions.

RESULTS:

In total, 3% of schools and 4% of after school care institutions have a written policy on nutrition. All Danish children have access to milk at school and they can choose between milk with low and high content of fat. Vending machines are rare at schools and are not present at all at after school care institutions. Only 10% of schools offer children sugared carbonated drinks at food stands. Fruit is available daily in 35% of schools, at food stands, and in 18% of the schools, fruit is available on prescription. In after school care institutions, sweets and sugared carbonated drinks are rare. However, juice is served daily in 47% of after school care institutions. Most schools run the food stand at school for profit.

CONCLUSION:

The paper highlights the important aspects of the institutional level as one of six important levels as regards the prevention of obesity and an important level at which to act to increase nutrition habits in school children.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Flodmark CE, Lissau I, Moreno LA, Pietrobelli A, Widhalm K . New insights into the field of children and adolescents' obesity: the European perspective. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28: 1189–1196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Petersen TA, Rasmussen S, Madsen M . BMI of Danish school children measured during the periods 1986/1987–1996/1997 compared to Danish measurement in 1971/1972. Ugeskr Laeger 2002; 164: 5006–5010.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Petersen TA, Nielsen A, Paludan M, Rasmussen S, Madsen M . Børns sundhed ved slutningen af skolealderen. En undersøgelse blandt elver i 8. og 9. klasse i 1996/97. Statens Institut for Folkesundhed: København; 2000.

  4. Pearson S, Olsen LW, Hansen B, Sorensen TI . Increase in overweight and obesity amongst Copenhagen schoolchildren, 1947–2003. Ugeskr Laeger 2005; 167: 158–162.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lissau I . Action, prevention, and epidemiology of paediatric obesity. Acta Paediatr 2005; 94 (Suppl 448): 30–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Lissau I, Burniat W, Poskitt EME, Cole TJ . Prevention. In: Burniat W, Lissau I, Poskitt EME, Cole TJ (eds). Child and adolescent obesity. Causes and consequences, prevention and management. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; 2002. pp 243–269.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Summerbell C, Waters E, Edmunds L, Kelly S, Brown T, Campbell KJ . Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Review 2005. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002(2): CD001871.

  8. Sundhedsstyrelsen CfF. Oplæg til national handlingsplan mod svær overvægt. Forslag til løsninger og persektiver. 1-68. 2003. København.

  9. National Board of Health Copenhagen. National Action plan against Obesity. Recommendations and Perspectives. Short version 2003.

  10. Regeringen. Bedre sundhed for børn og unge. Indenrigs-og Sundhedsministeriet: Copenhagen; 2003; 1–22.

  11. Lissau I, Poulsen J . En landsdækkende undersøgelse af rammer og vilkår for børn, mad og måltider i skoler og SFO'er. Statens Institut for Folkesundhed: København; 2000.

  12. French SA, Story M, Fulkerson JA . School food policies and practices: a state-wide survey of secondary school principals. J Am Diet Assoc 2002; 102: 1785–1789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Vereecken CA, Bobelijn K, Maes L . School food policy at primary and secondary schools in Belgium-Flanders: does it influence young people's food habits? Eur J Clin Nutr 2005; 59: 271–277.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Carter MA, Swinburn B . Measuring the ‘obesogenic’ food environment in New Zealand primary schools. Health Promot Int 2004; 19: 15–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kubik MY, Lytle LA, Story M . Soft drinks, candy, and fast food: what parents and teachers think about the middle school food environment. J Am Diet Assoc 2005; 105: 233–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. French SA, Wechsler H . School-based research and initiatives: fruit and vegetable environment, policy, and pricing workshop. Prev Med 2004; 39 (Suppl 2): S101–S107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lissau I, Overpeck MD, Ruan WJ, Due P, Holstein BE, Hediger ML . Body mass index and overweight in adolescents in 13 European countries, Israel, and the United States. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2004; 158: 27–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Lissau I . Overweight and obesity epidemic among children. Answer from European countries. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28 (Suppl 3): S10–S15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Toh CM, Cutter J, Chew SK . School based intervention has reduced obesity in Singapore. BMJ 2002; 324: 427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Greenhalgh T . Childhood obesity and consumption of fizzy drinks: commercial interests have important role. BMJ 2004; 329: 54.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen K, 5A2 Oster Farimagsgade, 1399, Denmark

    I Lissau & J Poùlsen

Authors
  1. I Lissau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J Poùlsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I Lissau.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lissau, I., Poùlsen, J. Nutrition policy, food and drinks at school and after school care. Int J Obes 29 (Suppl 2), S58–S61 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803101

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803101

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links