While current health news articles warn of the expanding problem of obesity in adults, our children are growing into the problem as well. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing in the United Kingdom, said in a press release, "Obesity is this country’s single biggest health issue and is threatening the health and well-being of the two thirds of adults, and a third of children, who are overweight or obese."

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the prevalence of overweight in children is increasing, and obese children have a 70 percent chance of becoming obese adults. On the other side of the globe, India is also facing problems with obesity as a new middle class emerges. R.V. Bhavani, Project Director of the B.V. Rao Center for Sustainable Food Security, told Vision, "Junk food has entered the market and urban schoolchildren and the middle class are more open to these kinds of foods. On one side we have this huge population of hungry and malnourished [children], but the manifestations of the problem of obesity and related issues are also surfacing. These foods are finding their way even to rural areas at a faster pace, so unless there is more awareness of the right kinds of food to consume, we are going to have problems."

Some countries are generating awareness about nutrition and health by implementing educational programs in the schools while changing what they feed the students. In an exclusive interview with Vision, Prue Leith, internationally known food expert and chair of the U.K.`s School Food Trust, explained that Finland`s successful solution to their obesity problem began with the children. "The government decided to tackle it through school dinners. Everything the children eat is nutritionally balanced, and there’s very little choice." Each meal is part of their education. The students are involved with meal preparation and cleanup, so they learn to understand the process. They serve themselves so they can take as little or as much as they like, but they are expected to eat what they take so there is no waste. Food is prepared as it is needed so it is always fresh and appealing when the children come through the lines. Leith encourages others to learn from Finland`s experience and apply these lessons in the battle against obesity in the U.K. "The scale of the problem is really scary. We now have 35 percent of obese children, which is what Finland had before. Now they have two percent, so it can be done."

Schools in the U.S. are also addressing the obesity problem by emphasizing whole grains, fruits and vegetables while cutting back on transfats, added sugar and sodium, according to a July 2008 survey by the School Nutrition Association. U.S. schools are offering a greater variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grain products and other more nutritious foods despite dealing with increasing costs. Other improvements involve building awareness of nutrition and wellness among students, teachers and staff while also trying to increase the appeal and utility of cafeteria spaces.

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