• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 06 / 21 / 2011

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2011.06.20 - 19:23:10 / radiorebelde.icrt.cu. Ciego de Avila, Cuba.- Healthy eating habits for children under two are promoted in Cuba through a guide widely distributed in Cuba in an effort to increase nutritional education and reduce desease prevalence in this stage of life.

In a workshop held in the central province of Ciego de Avila, a researcher of the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Santa Jimenez said the material has been distributed medical centers, schools and orientation centers for women.

Jimenez said the guide is a useful working tool because it unifies educative messages concerning the main patterns for a balanced diet to avoid the risk of obesity, overweight and anemia for the deficit of iron.

Jimenez said the joint work of doctors, nutritional advisors, health education and promotion centers, among other social factors enable to establish institutional guidelines to eliminate false believes and increase the knowledge regarding food and eating habits.

However, the researcher said there is a long way ahead to achieve exclusive breast feeding through six months and reduce the consumption of sugar and fast food.

Director of the Provincial Center for Health Education and Promotion, Ernesto Salcedo, said in fairs for the promotion of healthy eating habits are frequently carried out in the province, while there are programs to teach young women about the appropriate consumption of vegetables, fruits and root vegetables before and after having a baby.

Eating guides for children under two were drawn by the Ministry of Public Health in conjunction with the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and the UN Children’s Fund. (ACN)