The project “Enjoy in health” is financed by the Norway Financial Mechanism.
In the framework of EEA grants, €26.9 million has been set aside for Slovenia for the period 2009-2014, out of which Norway has contributed 97%. Two main areas have been granted: i) Public health initiatives and ii) Mainstreaming gender equality and promoting work-life balance. The project „Enjoy in health“ belongs to first area.
The project is required due to an increasingly unhealthy lifestyle, excessive body weight and obesity. Despite the fact that Slovenia has set up and organised a system of school nutrition, included gym in the regular curriculum, and introduced systematic prevention medical examinations, obesity among children and youth continues to rise. The main objective of the project is thus to decrease and prevent unhealthy lifestyle related diseases. Specific project objectives include: initiation of effective inter-ministerial cooperation and introduction of environment supporting a healthy lifestyle, education programmes and non-medicinal treatment of obesity. Furthermore, the project aims to introduce innovative approaches, tools and programmes for reducing obesity, and carry out pilot trials in 12 statistical regions. Besides the above, the project also includes the provision of training for over 400 professionals. Project outcomes include: the development and testing of inter-disciplinary prevention teams within the education sector (48), health/medical sector (12), social sector (12) and the local communities (12) with the aim to support a healthy lifestyle; and innovative intervention programmes for non-medicinal treatment of obesity for children, youth and adults (3).
| Title | “An integrated innovative approach for providing a healthy lifestyle with a focus on nutrition, physical activity, prevention and management of obesity among children, adolescents and adults, and reduction of health inequalities” |
| Short title | Enjoy in health |
| Coordinator | National Education Institute Slovenia |
| Duration | 28th Februar, 2015 – 31st December, 2016 |
| Grant | Norway grant |
| Programme | Public Health Initiatives |
| Programme’s coordinator | Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy |
To reduce or prevent life-style related diseases
Specific objectives:
Children and youth belong to the vulnerable population groups. The description of the problem domain indicates that they are characterised by unhealthy eating habits, inadequate physical activity and increasing trend of obesity. Moreover, Slovenia currently has no prevention programmes for integrated identification and treatment of overweight and obese children (approx. 1000 children).
Vulnerable groups in the light of unhealthy lifestyle (unhealthy diet and physical inactivity) include young families due to their motivation, work overload and lack of support environments (240 families).
Research implies unhealthy lifestyle in adults. However, Slovenia has set up a programme for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and a suitable counselling system for a healthy lifestyle, which the present project aims to upgrade (esp. in the light of vulnerable groups from the aspect of socio-economic health factors and geographical characteristics (90 persons).
Education institutions include those environments where system measures can consistently affect the lifestyle of children and youth, and which offer support environments (educators, teachers, staff involved in the preparation of meals, food providers); (2 preschool institutions and 2 basic schools in every region).
The project integrates the approaches and models for improving a healthy lifestyle in the local communities by introducing local promotion / prevention teams in the local environment, which will work on the treatment of vulnerable groups (also from the aspect of geographical characteristics).
Healthcare workers and self-support groups (12 regions).
