AHT: Promoting Healthy Eating in Adolescents

Students of # 55 public school visited . Koba Sekhchidze, Head of the Bariatric and Mini-Invasive Department of the American Hospital Tbilisi, Academic Doctor of Medicine, provided detailed information to the schoolchildren on healthy eating and healthy lifestyle. The meeting, which was initiated by Tbilisi Public School # 55, will be permanent – Koba Sekhchidze plans to organize similar meetings for students of other public schools in the capital. The reason is overcoming obesity, which is the most acute problem for all countries of the world.

– Mr. Koba, why did you decide to hold a conference for schoolchildren?

– In fact, the issue is this: public schools have certain programs and school administrators are obliged to provide information to their students on various issues, one of such issues is healthy eating. It was because of this topic that the representatives of Public School # 55 contacted us and asked us to help. We decided to take the kids to the hospital, take a tour of the area and talk to them about what is a healthy diet, or a healthy lifestyle. We explained that children need enough sleep and proper nutrition to stay in shape. Since they are at an age where their body is in the process of formation, a healthy diet, right now, is of utmost importance in overcoming the problem of obesity.

– Will such meetings become permanent if you are limited to only one conference?

– Yes, we want to continue, because such meetings have two burdens: first – to remind children once again of a healthy lifestyle and the theory of proper nutrition, and second – we want to raise awareness about our hospital in the city. This is because there is no other clinic like this one in the country.

– Mr. Koba, how acute is the problem of obesity in Georgian children and adolescents?

– This problem is acute all over the world. By 2025, half the world’s population will be overweight and will need some kind of help. I am not talking about diet, I mean active help. If we provide the young generation with the right information from the beginning, when their body is in the process of formation, we will certainly leave the danger of obesity behind.

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Who should provide information about healthy eating and healthy living to children and adults, if not a doctor? Who will give them the necessary recommendations, if not a professional specialist? That is why the conference held at AHT was attended by dieticians-endocrinologists, as well as general surgeon Malkhaz Chubinidze – from the bariatric and mini-invasive department of AHT.

– Mr. Malkhaz, can you name some basic principles that children and adults must pay attention to maintain weight?

– A healthy lifestyle is accompanied by certain principles that children should follow from an early age to not reach a state where the help of doctors is necessary. This is what our meeting serves as well – we start promoting proper nutrition in children from the very beginning to raise a healthy generation.
As for principles, there are three basic principles: proper nutrition; Timely sleep and physical activity. Physical activity has become a tradition in preschool and school and has been replaced by high technology in the 21st century. This is very good, but at the expense of physical activity – no!