The broad aims of the project are to ensure that health promoting activities focusing on overweight, obesity and healthy lifestyle choices have an effective and long lasting effect. There will be a focus on working with young people and their families. The project works with local government policy makers and health professionals to increase awareness of how healthy lifestyle choices and health status within families are affected by the socio-cultural context within local settings.
The premise for this work is that across Europe there are many projects focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles and providing healthy food in schools, but in order to sustain the effects of these policies outside the school environment, a more holistic, strategic and mainstreamed focus is needed at local level, together with better involvement of parents and families. This will necessarily involve a better understanding of the socio-cultural contexts that lead to unhealthy lifestyles. The project also addresses such issues as self-confidence, self esteem, self control and social capital.
