The Institute 4 Preventive Health calls on public and private partners to join this research on supporting healthy and sustainable food choices for VMBO students. The aim of this project is to empower them through an interactive digital platform, equipping them with sensory food experiences, knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their food choices. This interdisciplinary project involves researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University and University Medical Centre Utrecht.
| Online information session: 22 June 2023, 10:00 – 11:00 (see below) Deadline call for partners: 1 September 2023 Project duration: January 2024 – December 2027 |
Preventing overweight in adolescents
In 2022, a quarter of young adults in the Netherlands has an unhealthy weight, with 7 percent classified as having obesity. This underscores the importance of preventing overweight in young people. Adolescence is characterized by various transitions, including changes in body weight and composition, as well as more autonomy in food choices. Encouraging healthy and sustainable eating habits at this developmental phase can be challenging. Traditional nutrition education, delivered through oral or written means, may not effectively engage certain students, particularly those who favor practical learning methods. Therefore, alternative approaches to educate adolescents become essential.
Healthy and sustainable food choices
The objective of this research is to investigate effective methods to optimally support VMBO students in making healthy and sustainable food choices. The research process contains:
- Studying adolescents’ eating behaviors and exploring their wants and needs. We introduce healthy and sustainable eating by drawing on their experience of the sensory properties of food. In doing so, we recognize the importance of hands-on learning for practicing students.
- Developing a digital platform that empowers and assists students in making healthy and sustainable food related decisions.
This research aims to understand, model and simulate eating behaviors, with the ultimate goal of being able to predict and model those behaviors. The result is to provide students with experiences that demonstrate the palatability and enjoyment of healthy and sustainable eating, and thereby increases self-efficacy in their future lives.
Excited to join?
All interested parties in the public and private domain are welcome to join us in this public private partnership (PPP). We especially invite schools and education companies, industrial partners such as ingredient and food companies and serious games companies. Unfortunately we are not able to reply to solicitations from research institutes or enquiries from students related to this project.
Budget
The budget for this proposal is estimated to be 1.6M Euro. The project is being developed for application to the TKI subsidy, a Dutch governmental program sponsoring applied research. Aiming for 5 partners, each contribute 20k€ annually cash and 20k€ annually in-kind.
Granted projects receive 50% subsidy funding. The other 50% is contributed by industry partners, of which up to half (25% of total) may be in-kind. In return for in-cash and in-kind contributions to the project, partners can specify desired topics for research, and provide direction to the research activities.
More information?
You are welcome to join the online information session for partners on the 22nd of June from 10:00 to 11:00, where we will elaborate on the project. Please send an e-mail Tessa Scherphof to register.