Health4EUKids: the European project in partnership with the DGS that is portraying the health of the youngest presents preliminary results in Alter do Chão
15% of children are overweight and around 36% do not do moderate to intense physical exercise, reveal the preliminary results of the study by the European project Health4EUKids, coordinated in Portugal by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), and which aims to encourage healthy lifestyles among children, families and communities, with a special focus on preventing childhood obesity.
The data were presented on February 14, 2025, at the Alter do Chão castle, an event promoted by the DGS in partnership with the municipalities of Alter do Chão, Portalegre and the Alto Alentejo Local Health Unit. The pilot projects being implemented in these municipalities demonstrate that childhood obesity continues to be a challenge.
The study involved 202 students from the 1st cycle of primary education, distributed across the different school years, 52.6% of whom were boys and 47.4% were girls, with an average age of 7.43 years. 52.5% were from the Municipality of Portalegre and 47.5% from the Municipality of Alter do Chão. The study states, among other things, that 66% of the students surveyed have a normal Body Mass Index, 19% are thin and 15% are overweight or obese.
The Deputy Director-General for Health, André Peralta-Santos, opened the session, stressing that “one of the most important aspects of this project is the fact that it does not focus solely on promoting physical activity or improving school meals, but rather on a global intervention involving children, parents, teachers, operational assistants and health professionals”. He also stressed the importance of “strengthening public prevention policies and highlighting the value of joint work between health authorities, municipalities and schools”.
During the event, the Secretary of State for Health, Ana Povo, stated that “one of the challenges facing health systems is the ageing population, with a high burden of disease, which impacts the sustainability of any health system, which is why it is essential that we invest in health care and prevention measures today”. Ana Povo stressed the need and commitment to “invest in prevention and health promotion, and in promoting healthy lifestyles”, highlighting three important challenges among young people: obesity, sedentary lifestyle and dependence on screens.
Also within the scope of this initiative, the Interactive Recreation Area was opened in Alter do Chão, a space that encourages healthy lifestyles through activities dedicated to children. Co-construction workshops were also held, involving the community in the creation of strategies for promoting health.
These initiatives reflect the importance of working together to ensure a healthier future for children, promoting sustainable changes.
#HaDEA
The “HEALTH4EUkids” Joint Action aims to implement health promotion and prevention strategies for child obesity across European countries. It seeks to share best practices and research findings, particularly focusing on the initiatives Grunau Moves from Germany and Smart Family from Finland. The project involves knowledge transfer, cooperation between member states, policy development, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles in families and communities. Its goal is to prevent childhood obesity, increase physical activity and healthy diet, and ensure the sustainability and transferability of successful practices to other member states.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s EU4HEALTH Programme under the Grant Agreement no 101082462
