Current status of the Food Dude Programme
The results of several studies indicate that this is a programme that can now be introduced into all primary schools internationally to produce large and long-lasting changes in the diets of schoolchildren.
Current Projects
Food Dudes in Ireland
The most extensive roll-out of the programme to date is being conducted in Ireland.
In 2005, the Irish Government launched a pilot scheme in 150 primary schools across Ireland, with support from the EU and Industry. In recognition of its success after one year, the scheme was awarded a World Health Organization best practice award in 2006. It was chosen to receive this prestigious award from among 202 applications from 35 countries. Professor Fergus Lowe and Dr Pauline Horne were invited to Istanbul to attend a World Health Organisation European Ministerial Meeting on counteracting obesity at which the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Dr Marcos Kyprianou, presented the award. Also receiving the award were Dr Michael Maloney, Bord Bia, representing the Irish Government, and Dr Laurence Swan, representing Fresh Produce Ireland.
Pictured at the European Ministerial Conference on Counteracting Obesity in Istanbul on Friday 17th November 2006 is (from left to right):
| • | Raquel Izquierdo de Santiago, Freshfel Europe |
| • | Dr Michael Maloney, Director of Horticulture, Bord Bia |
| • | Dr Marcos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection |
| • | Professor Fergus Lowe, University of Wales Bangor |
| • | Dr Pauline Horne, University of Wales Bangor |
| • | Dr Laurence Swan, Fresh Produce Ireland |
The pilot scheme proved so successful (with children, parents and teachers) that the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan has now announced that the Food Dude Healthy Eating Programme is to be made available to every primary school in Ireland. It will be introduced to the country’s 3,300 primary schools over the next 7 years with a budget of 28 million Euro.
The programme was officially launched by Minister Coughlan in Dublin on Sunday 19 February 2007. Pictured at the launch are (from left to right) Professor Fergus Lowe, Minister Mary Coughlan, Dr. Pauline Horne (back row) and Irish “Food Dudes” Lucy Faulkner, Nicole de Silva, Oisin McCafferty and Matthew Faulkner.
View the Food Dudes in Ireland project website.
Increasing Physical Activity
Artwork by Dr. Mihela Erjavec, School of Psychology, Bangor University
Obesity among children is increasing at an alarming rate in many countries worldwide. This emphasises the importance of promoting both healthy eating and physical activity to children. In response to this, the Bangor Food and Activity Research Unit is now looking at ways to increase physical activity levels. Initial research findings suggest that an intervention modeled closely on the Food Dude Programme is very effective in increasing activity in primary school children. This project has been recently funded by the Wales Office of Research and Development for Health and Social Care.
The overall aim is to develop an integrated programme that will combine interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity - The Fit Food Dudes. If used widely, an intervention of this nature has great potential to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity.
The Future
The Food Dude Healthy Eating Programme is not a commercial operation and our aim is to encourage government and other agencies to make the programme available to all children.
For further information on how we envisage a large-scale roll out of the Food Dude Programme to work, please download the “Running the Food Dudes Programme on a large-scale” document.