The Moro Foundation is committed to the development of the IB program in Slovenia. This community currently represents over 300 students from 40 nations. Your donations will enrich the educational experience of children coming from donor countries.

 

World Heart Day, Sept. 29th 2014

On Sept. 29th, we celebrate World Heart Day which spreads the news that at least 80% of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease could be avoided if four main risk factors – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol – are controlled. The World Health Organisation, regional office for Europe has just published: “Investing in children:the European child andadolescent health strategy2015–2020.” Among others it states: Overweight and obesity are some of the fastest growing health issues for children and adolescents, creating potential health and well-being problems in later life and an economic burden on health systems and societies. Actions will include intersectoral collaboration to facilitate healthier food choices throughout the life-course as envisaged in the European childhood obesity plan and in line with the Vienna Declaration on Nutrition and Noncommunicable Diseases in the Context of Health 2020 (Vienna Declaration). Vienna Declaration states: “We will contribute significantly to the reduction of Noncommunicable Diseases by addressing priority concerns such as excessive intake of energy, saturated fats and trans fats, free sugars and salt, as well as low consumption of vegetables and fruit. These are important risk factors for obesity and diet -related NCDs.”

Studies from the New York state show, that ban of trans fats decrease heart-disease-related deaths per year by 4%. As in Slovenia, unfortunately there is not ban of trans fats, it is very important to actively protect children from them by excluding the main sources of trans fats such as fried foods like doughnuts, baked goods including cakes, pie crusts, biscuits, cookies, crackers, frozen pizzas, and stick margarines and other (partially hydrogenated) spreads from their menu at home as well as at school.

 

A healthy lifestyle is important throughout the entire life, Sept. 29th 2014

A healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle are important throughout the entire life course, especially during the first 1000 days of life as well as until the puberty, since this period has a vital impact on the health all into adulthood. A healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle influence on reducing the risk of overweight and obesity, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, have a beneficial effect on the development of the nervous system (brain and retina) and the development of the immune system (increasing resistance smaller risk of allergy and non-communicable diseases). In childhood and adolescence dietary habits are shaped, whose influence extends all into the adulthood. The fact that dietary factors nowadays claim more lives in Europe and beyond than any other factors, we are all called to do our best to ensure healthy diets and healthy lifestyle for our children at home as well as at school.