First CRES-UPF Recognition and Dissemination Program of good practices sponsored by AstraZeneca
September 28, 2022
The IIS Aragón takes to the streets at the European Researchers' Night
October 3, 2022- The study, led by Luis Moreno and Pilar De Miguel-Etayo, from the GENUD group, will work with 300 schoolchildren from Valdefierro-Oliver in order to promote their adherence to the Mediterranean diet and an active lifestyle.
- Childhood obesity has doubled in Aragon and overweight has almost tripled in the last 20 years
Childhood obesity is considered a public health priority, so preventive action that promotes healthy and sustainable eating at an early age from different areas seems essential. To contribute to this mission, the group GENUD of the Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), with the collaboration of the Alcampo Foundation, has launched the ALASS Program (Food, Physical Activity, Health and Sustainability), which seeks to promote adherence to the Mediterranean diet and a lifestyle active life among Zaragoza schoolchildren with the aim of reducing the risk of some non-communicable chronic pathologies in this group, such as overweight, obesity and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases.
This is a project that includes food and nutritional education at the individual, family and community level along with physical activity. We will work with a cohort of 300 children and young people between 6 and 17 years old from the Valdefierro-Oliver neighborhood, whose recruitment will be carried out mainly through member families of the Alcampo Club. The duration of the program is two school years and includes different stages: initial, maintenance, reminder and evaluation.
According to previous studies by the GENUD group (Growth, Physical Activity, Nutrition and Development, for its acronym in English), childhood obesity has doubled in Aragon and overweight has almost tripled in the last 20 years, reaching communities with highest incidence such as the Canary Islands and Andalusia. The limited sporting activity of Aragonese children, together with nutritional issues, are, in part, responsible for this situation. Likewise, groups with the lowest socioeconomic status are approximately twice as likely to be obese and, therefore, to have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, ischemic heart disease, stroke or psychosocial problems compared to the highest socioeconomic level groups.
Luis Moreno Aznar and Pilar De Miguel Etayo, researchers from the GENUD group of the IIS Aragón, have presented today, in the spaces of the IIS Aragón at the Lozano Blesa Clinical Hospital in Zaragoza, the project, which has had a contribution of 27.000 euros from of the company within the framework of its call #Juntosnosalimentamosbien. “Childhood is the time in which life habits begin to be created, in relation to social, family, and environmental factors and customs specific to the culture in which the child is immersed. Therefore, education on healthy and sustainable eating in this population group can be key to improving knowledge and future health,” explained Moreno Aznar.
De Miguel-Etayo added that children who only do school physical activity, that is, two or three hours of physical education a week, are those who have the greatest amount of fat and the worst physical condition. “It should be noted that greater adherence to the dietary patterns of the Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure and metabolic risk. Likewise, the practice of regular physical activity during childhood is associated with better musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health and lower adiposity,” said De Miguel-Etayo, before indicating that the recruitment period is open. Families who want to participate must contact the researchers via email pilardm@unizar.es or phone 695370293.
Also participating in the event were the scientific director of the IIS Aragón, Ángel Lanas; the general director of Public Health, Francisco Falo; and the director of Alcampo in Aragón, Juan José Dávila, who has highlighted Alcampo's mission: working so that people eat well and live better, taking care of the planet. “Thanks to this alliance with the Aragón Health Research Institute, we contribute to the well-being of children, promoting the acquisition of healthy eating habits from the first years of life,” Dávila stressed. For his part, Lanas has pointed out the importance of public-private collaboration so that the results of the research are transferred to citizens as quickly as possible. “We believe that this project is going to have a great future impact on the health of the children's population,” he confided, while Falo expressed his satisfaction that there are research projects that address community health problems.

In the same line as the IIS Aragón, the purpose of the Alcampo Foundation is to promote access to healthy food, accessible to everyone, this being a factor of social bond, especially for the people who need it most. Its lines of action focus on raising awareness and preventing the risks associated with an unbalanced diet, promoting the creation of shared experiences by strengthening ties with society and facilitating the acquisition of knowledge about healthy and balanced eating. Since its creation in Spain in 2013, the Alcampo Foundation has contributed to the social and environmental improvement of the places where Alcampo is present and to date has supported 104 projects, with a budget of 1.214.780 euros.
About the Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón)
The IIS Aragón is the Health Research Institute formed by the 'Lozano Blesa' and 'Miguel Servet' University Hospitals, Primary Health Care, the University of Zaragoza and the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences. The objectives of the IIS Aragón are to bring together basic and applied, clinical and health services research; create a quality research, care and teaching environment that integrates health professionals, training specialists and postgraduate and undergraduate students, as well as constitute the ideal place for attracting talent and the location of large scientific-technological facilities.