Students as Promoters of Healthy Nutrition, Examples from Latvian Eco-Schools

Students as Promoters of Healthy Nutrition, Examples from Latvian Eco-Schools

Andra Mieze From a sociological perspective there is a lack of research studies that analyze children as promoters of healthy nutrition. This article aims to explore children’s ability and some of the strategies they use to promote a healthy diet  and the strategies that have been initiated or modified as a  result of the social interactions with adults. World Days of Action is one of the Eco-Schools global projects in which Latvian pupils can participate to promote their own healthy nutrition in cooperation with a variety of adults such as teachers, parents, NGOs agents, entrepreneurs, politicians etc. The pupils in their role as promoters of healthy nutrition were strongly influenced by adults who initiated and maintained a discourse about healthy food, and who thereby transformed, by these social interactions and communication, pupils (children’s) views on nutrition. In general, adults who participated in the activities of Eco-Schools as initiators and stimulators for pupils helped them to realize their social responsibility to act as promoters of healthy nutrition. However the discussion of healthy nutrition among pupils did not continue after adult participation was discontinued. As a result, in contemporary society children could not act effectively and independently to promote healthy nutrition without the help of adults.