Second “Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme” Concludes Successfully Students’ Dietary Habits, Frequency of Physical Activity Improved, Overweight Rate Reduced by One-Third

Second “Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme” Concludes Successfully Students’ Dietary Habits, Frequency of Physical Activity Improved, Overweight Rate Reduced by One-Third
6-Year Study Reveals Collaborative Efforts Between Schools, Homes, and Businesses to Promote Early Establishment of Healthy Lifestyles in Students Cultivate More Healthier Kids

As the world’s leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company, Nestlé has always been committed to helping children lead healthier lives. Since 2017, Nestlé Hong Kong has invited the Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion (the Centre) of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of The Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct two terms of the “Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme” (N4HK Programme) for six years. The Programme aims to address the health status of the same group of participating children during their critical growth stages from Primary 4 to Primary 6. By addressing various aspects such as nutrition, physical activity, and sleeping habits, the Programme comprehensively understands and help to improve their health. Over the six years, more than 1,000 children have participated in the Programme.

With the success of the first N4HK programme (2017-2021), particularly the significant improvement in the eating habits of students from six participating primary schools, Nestlé Hong Kong and the Centre launched the second N4HK Programme in 2021, expanding to ten primary schools. The number of participating students increased from 500 to 800, and the Programme concluded successfully in July this year.

The Department of Health has identified unhealthy diet, inadequate physical activity, and poor mental wellness as the key concerns of today’s adolescent health¹ The second N4HK Programme designed relevant activities for students, teachers, and parents to address these issues. Annual health surveys and fitness tests were conducted to track the health status of participating students. Significant improvements were found in students’ weight and eating habits through a series of activities promoting healthy diet and regular exercise. The number of overweighed students significantly decreased by one-third, and there was a noticeable decline in the consumption of unhealthy snacks, soft drinks, and sugary drinks. Additionally, the number of students with good exercise habits increased by 20%.

Reviewing the results over the past six years, Nestlé Hong Kong and the Centre found that multi-faceted and targeted activities like online lectures, cooking workshops, and video tutorials, effectively enhanced health knowledge among students, parents, and teachers. This early and effective intervention helped children establish healthy lifestyles from a young age, positively impacting their health.

The Second Programme Improved Dietary Habits and Exercise Frequency, Reducing Overweighed Students by One-Third
Obesity among youth is closely related to many health issues, including an increased risk of diabetes, fatty liver, and sleep apnea. The Programme successfully improved students’ obesity by improving their dietary and exercise habits, such as organizing rope skipping activities, healthy snacks and cooking workshops. The proportion of overweighed students decreased significantly from 24.6% in the first year to 16.8% in the third year, a reduction of one-third. The number of students with waist circumference at risk also decreased from 32.9% in the first year to 25.1% in the third year.

Considering eating habits, the frequency of consuming unhealthy foods and sugary drinks among students decreased. The proportion of students eating processed meat or deep-fried food more than four times a week dropped from nearly 10% in the first year to less than 6% in the third year. Similarly, students having soft drinks or sugary drinks more than four times a week decreased from 18.8% to 15.2% in three years. Additionally, students eating enough fruits and vegetables daily increased satisfactorily from less than 2% in the first year to over 4% in the second year.

Adequate water intake is important to children’s health. In the second year, the Programme promoted the importance of adequate water intake and introduced relevant educational video for teachers. Water intake of participating students improved significantly from the first year (4.18 cups) to the third year (4.78 cups). However, this is still below the Department of Health’s recommendation of 6-8 cups, indicating room for improvement.

Regarding exercise habits, students engaging in moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes, two to seven days a week, increased significantly from 70.5% to 89.8% in three years. Those not engaging in such activity decreased from 15.0% to 10.5%. Besides, students reported feeling happier in school, indicating the Programme improved students’ diet, exercise, and mental wellness.

Students Neglect the Importance of Breakfast and Spend More Time on Electronic Devices 
The Programme found that students’ breakfast habits and electronic devices usage were less ideal. As they grow, more students tend to skip breakfast. Daily breakfast consumption declined from 80.8% in the first year to 70.5% in the third year, likely due to increased homework and activities, students do not have enough time to have breakfast, and gradually developed the habit of skipping breakfast. To address this, the Programme organized a series of activities in the third year to promote the importance of breakfast, including parent-child workshops, family cooking workshops, and production of short videos, receiving positive feedback from both students and parents, with the view that they will contribute to improving breakfast consumption in the future. Dr Amelia Lo, Health Promotion Consultant of Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK stated, “Consuming sufficient nutrition in the morning helps improve cognitive skills, academic performance, and mental health. For children in the developmental stage, breakfast is crucial for providing the necessary nutrients. It is recommended that parents and schools strengthen students’ awareness of having breakfast, such as having breakfast with their children in the morning or providing healthy breakfast options at school to help students establish healthy eating habits.”

The Department of Health recommends students aged 6-12 spend less than two hours a day on electronic screens². However, the Programme found that the digitalization of growth has led to an increase in the daily electronic device use among students. Students spending more than two hours on video games and social media on school days both increased by nearly 6% from the first to the third year. The situation is more severe on weekends, with an increase of over 10% and 8% on video games and social media respectively. In response, four short videos on eye health were introduced to teachers for enhancing their knowledge and skills on promoting eye health as well as increase their awareness of eye health to the healthy growth of children. Dr Lo emphasized that the pandemic has shifted many learning activities online, increasing students’ exposure to electronic devices. It is crucial to enhance students’ knowledge of eye health and sedentary activities to establish healthy habits of using electronic device as they grow.

Promoting Comprehensive Health Development for Children Requires Multi-Faceted Efforts
Over the past six years, research shows that school-based health education activities help increase students’ knowledge of diet and exercise. Parents and teachers play key roles in children’s growth, continuously providing them with information and activities related to children’s health helps improve students’ habits. Collaborative efforts between schools, homes, and businesses, with a shared focus on children’s growth, help students establish and maintain healthy lifestyles.

Mr. Simon Cheung, Managing Director of Nestlé Hong Kong Limited, stated, “Creating shared value is an integral part of Nestlé’s business development. Nestlé Hong Kong is dedicated in providing consumers with high-quality food products, actively promoting nutrition and health, addressing social needs, and leading a better life for the public. We are delighted to invite the Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion of The Chinese University of Hong Kong to support and promote the ‘Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme’, which has been implemented in over 80 countries/regions worldwide. Reflecting on the results achieved over the past six years, we are pleased to witness significant improvements in students’ eating and health habits with the assistance of the Programme. We hope that schools and parents will continue to draw inspiration from the Programme’s outcomes and initiatives, integrating health information into both school and family life to foster the holistic health development of students. Looking ahead, Nestlé Hong Kong will persist in supporting and organizing various activities to promote nutrition and health, hoping to help more children and other vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, to establish healthy lifestyles.”

¹DH announces key findings of annual health assessment of Student Health Service
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202401/03/P2024010300237.htm

²Student Health Service - Healthy Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products
https://www.studenthealth.gov.hk/tc_chi/internet/tips/health_effects_tips.html

Photo Caption:

Nestlé Hong Kong and the Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of The Chinese University of Hong Kong have launched the two “Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme” over six years since 2017. The photos show various activities organized for students, aimed at to enhancing their knowledge on nutrition and health while empowering them to lead healthier lives.