Our children's eating habits and health are a matter of concern for us all in Europe and represent a huge challenge. How could we fail to be moved by the significant increase in the number of children who do not eat a balanced diet, the most visible sign of which is the growing number of children who are obese? How could we disregard this trend, which not only affects the well-being of children, and of the future adults active in tomorrow's society, but also raises significant concerns as to the long-term health implications and the cost to society? One response to this complex situation lies in education and learning. Schools and professionals who contribute to schoolchildren's well-being have an essential role to play in this respect. Eating at school concerns two closely related aspects but which involve many different actors: acquiring healthy eating habits in general as part of healthy living and the food available in schools. The programme and debates of the forum "Eating at school - making healthy choices" reflected this situation and they are described in this comprehensive report which proposes subjects for reflection as well as possibilities for action.
INTRODUCTION
Young minds 2002-2003 ─ forward ever, backward never Sarah Hunter and Tara McArdle
Health behavior and nutrition among school-age children Lea Maes, Ghent University
Eating at school ─ a European study Fannie de Boer, Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands
I - HEALTHY EATING IN SCHOOLS
Is there a healthy school meal? Ines Heindl, University of Flensburg, Germany
Hungry for success: A Whole Approach to School Meals In Scotland Gillian Kynoch, Scottish Executive Health Department
How can school influence children's food choice and improve their diet? Isabelle Loureiro, Escola Nacional de Salude Publica, Portugal
II - HOW TO PROVIDE HEALTHY FOOD IN SCHOOLS
Healthy eating in the traditional school meals system. The role of the private food operator Richard Coudyser, Sodexho Education, France
How to provide healthy food in schools: school fruit programmes as a short cut to promoting healthy eating in schools - the Norwegian experience Anniken Owren Aarum, Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, Norway
The home-made lunchbox - has it got a future? Doris Kuhness, Styria Vitalis Organisation, Austria
III - WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH
School food policy: linking with the Netherlands healthy schools action programme Goof Buijs, National Institute of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, the Netherlands
Promoting good personal health care and healthy consumption habits through a good school climateJean-Claude Vuille, Department of Public Health, Switzerland
Health and education - intersectoral role of school nutrition and nutrition education
Irena Simcic, Institute of Education, and Cirila Hlastan Ribic, Ministry of Health, Republic of Slovenia
IV - PARTNERSHIPS FOR HEALTHY CHOICES
We decide what we eat: active involvement of students in developing school meal policies Bjarne Bruun Jensen, University of Education, Denmark
Eating at school: the school and parents as partners - utopia or reality? Patricia Melotte and Christophe Content, Association des parents de l'Ecole communale Clair Vivre, Belgium
National inter-agency co-operation regarding nutrition in schools Michel Chauliac, Ministère de la Santé, France
CLOSING REMARKS Bent Egberg Mikkelsen
RAPPORTEUR'S REFLECTIONS Ian Young
