After the Council meeting, Dr Boštjan Jakše, the head of the reviewers appointed by the Council, said that Slovenia had not revised the Nutritional Guidelines for Educational Institutions for thirteen years and that in the last twenty years, the obesity rate had tripled, the overweight rate had doubled, and the nutritional intake of the primary school population was not at an enviable level. “Virtually no one meets the recommended daily intake of vitamin D, 91% do not meet the recommended intake of fibre, about 88% do not meet the recommended intake of folic acid, and 73% of primary school girls do not meet the recommended intake of iron. This is the reality that we want to improve it and we are very close,” said Dr Jakše, announcing that the reviewers and the NIPH would meet to reconcile the outstanding issues. Furthermore, the Council members will continue to work at all levels, i.e. at the nutritional and health level of the guidelines, on the political-staffing-logistical aspects, and also on the communication and social aspects: “All of this is important for major changes that need more time to be implemented and positively accepted by society,” Dr Jakše emphasised.

Prof. Dr Ivan Eržen, MD, highlighted that children are our future and it was therefore important to give them a healthy start to life. He announced that the NIPH would update the Nutritional Guidelines for Educational Institutions with the suggestions provided by the Council’s reviewers.