In their research, Black, D’Onise, McDermott, Vally, and O’Dea (2017) present a comparative survey of case studies on the correlation between school nutrition programs and child health. More specifically, this article looks at the impact of healthy eating and lifestyle programs and improved menus in school cafeterias on children’s dietary patterns. The authors point out that such programs serve to prevent many diseases in the future and to promote nutritional safety among children.
Family-based and institutional interventions in the nutrition of children under 12 were subjected to comparative analysis by randomized controlled trials. About half of the dietary intervention cases reviewed by the authors belonged to the United States, and another 16 were from European countries. Many nutrition programs involved organizing additional physical classes, introducing home activities, changing dietary habits, and counseling parents (Black, D’Onise, McDermott, Vally, & O’Dea, 2017). Special attention is paid to investigate the role of the family in the development of healthy eating patterns. As demonstrated by sources used in the study, the involvement of parents and other family members in the child’s diet showed its effectiveness in preventing childhood obesity. The most critical finding suggests that specific nutritional programs and family involvement had moderately successful outcomes. In the short term, the children improved their eating habits, ate more fruits and vegetables, and led healthier lifestyles. The authors also argue that parental participation correlates with a child’s health and safety in the future.
The authors’ significant contribution demonstrates the importance and relative effectiveness of nutrition education from a comparative perspective. In addition, I have found convincing that family and surroundings play a leading role in instilling healthy habits in children (Black et al., 2017). However, some conclusions presented in the article did not strike me as novel or resonant. For example, the assertion that various diseases such as obesity can be prevented by implementing nutrition programs did not seem especially new to me.
Reference
Black, A. P., D’Onise, K., McDermott, R., Vally, H., & O’Dea, K. (2017). How effective are family-based and institutional nutrition interventions in improving children’s diet and health? A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 17(1). Web.