If the fight against overweight and obesity is not strictly speaking part of the competences of the Var Departmental Council, this problem is nevertheless taken into account by many structures of the department.
“At least in terms of prevention”slips Caroline Depallens, elected from the 4th canton of Toulon and in charge of children.
“Promoting a balanced diet, eating well to prevent health problems, is a policy desired by the Department”insists Caroline Depallens.
And the departmental adviser to detail: “regardless of the public, and because at any age of life you can suffer from obesity, we set up actions for a balanced diet. At the house of caregivers in Luc-en-Provence, in nursing homes, or even within the Conference of Funders of Prevention and Loss of Autonomy, as in social children’s homes, everywhere, with the help of dieticians who develop menus, give advice, we are working on the prevention of weight gain”.
Ratatouille & Antics
Of course, colleges are not immune to this constant concern. Valérie Rialland, elected from the canton of La Garde and president of the Colleges and Education Commission at the Departmental Council, confirms this.
“In the 71 public colleges in the Var, a school catering charter has been signed emphasizing quality cuisine prepared on site, and if possible from short circuit products”.
No offense to the students, the time for fries at every meal is over. “With nutritionists, we work on the balance of rations. The fight against waste, in particular by abandoning trays, which encourages children to serve themselves according to their appetite, is another way of preventing obesity”explains Valérie Rialland again.
Before mentioning “taste education carried out by certain school cooks at war against junk food”.
To stay in school, the Departmental Health Education Committee of the Var (CODES 83) has been running a nutritional education program since 2014 in kindergartens in the Var.
baptized Ratatouille & Anticsthe name of the program speaks for itself. “When we talk about nutrition, we must always bear in mind that it concerns both diet and physical activity”explains Doctor Laurence Pallier, the director of CODES 83.
Thirty-five kindergartens (representing between 3,000 and 3,500 children aged 3 to 6), mostly located in “neighborhoods of social vulnerability, because we know that overweight problems are more numerous in disadvantaged areas”are following this program this year.
“In addition to classroom interventions on the composition of food, its taste, the pleasure of eating consciously and of course the promotion of physical activity, we also raise awareness among the entire educational team (teachers, specialized territorial agents of kindergartens), as well as parents”explains Laurence Pallier.
Better coordinate care
If the schools, which apply Ratatouille & Anticsmust be committed over three years, supporting families is a real challenge for the success of the program in the long term.
“To change the relationship to food, the cooperation of parents, who do not always perceive whether their child has overweight problems, is essential. Whether it is snacking or the time their children spend in front of screens instead of exert themselves physically, we have to help them become aware”confides the director of CODES 83.
Its nutritional advice, the association also provides it to adults. In particular within structures which welcome people in precariousness.
Finally, with health professionals, she is working to better structure coordinated care, by combining dietary monitoring and a psychological approach. “Because treating obesity is not only the responsibility of the patient and his doctor”.