A record quarter of a million children attending Danish public schools are participating in the three-week health project ‘Aktiv rundt i Danmark’ (active around Denmark), which launched on September 21.

Over the course of the three weeks, students will keep a journal and note how much they exercise, sleep and eat fruit and vegetables.

Different classes will compete against each other to see who is the healthiest and also do healthy exercise during break-time.

“It is easier to teach children new healthy habits if they are having fun,” explained Anders Flaskager from the University College South Denmark, which with the help of the Nordea Foundation is running the project.

Lifestyle a killer
An unhealthy lifestyle is responsible for close to 70 percent of all diseases resulting in death.

“From several studies we know our lifestyle habits are often formed in childhood,” Flaskager noted.

“So we have to change the unhealthy habits in childhood and adolescence before they become too natural and follow the children into adulthood.”