"Health Habits, 70-Day Challenge"... Gangseo-gu Launches 'Health Promotion School' Project

Sinjeong Elementary School Designated as the First 'Gangseo-type Health Promotion School'
Education on Exercise and Diet to Prevent Obesity and Support Healthy Habits

Gangseo-gu designated Sinjeong Elementary School in the district as the first "Gangseo-type Health Promotion School." Photo from the launch ceremony and plaque unveiling on the 3rd. Provided by Gangseo-gu.

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jin Gyo-hoon) has launched the ‘Gangseo-type Health Promotion School’ project to prevent obesity and promote healthy habits among young students. The ‘Gangseo-type Health Promotion School’ is a program that assigns dedicated managers to schools to provide customized education on exercise, diet, and more to protect students' health.

Gangseo-gu designated Sinjeong Elementary School in Hwagok-dong as the first ‘Gangseo-type Health Promotion School’ and held an inauguration and plaque ceremony on the 3rd, the district announced on the 4th. Accordingly, Sinjeong Elementary students will participate in grade-specific morning exercises such as soccer, golf, volleyball, and jump rope for 70 consecutive days, excluding summer vacation, and receive healthy snacks after exercising. In addition, the program supports improving students’ health behaviors and forming healthy eating habits through exercise and nutrition education linked to classes, as well as education for teachers and parents.

A youth self-health classroom will also be installed within the school to encourage students to practice regular physical activity through exercise content. In the self-health classroom, students can conduct their own body shape assessments and fitness analyses, accumulate data, and directly observe physical changes. To enable physical activity even in limited spaces, climbing walls and net ladders have been installed, and a program featuring gamification-based competitive challenge content will be operated to help students develop self-directed health management habits.

Before the project starts, the district plans to provide students with health management goals through body composition tests and dietary consultations, and will reward students who achieve their goals by October this year after the program.

According to the Ministry of Education’s ‘Student Health Survey Analysis’ (based on 2021 data), the proportion of overweight and obese children and adolescents reached 30.8%, a 5 percentage point increase from 25.8% in 2019 before COVID-19. While the ‘weekly fast food consumption rate’ including hamburgers and pizza has increased, the ‘daily vegetable intake rate’ has decreased, highlighting the urgent need for education on exercise and healthy eating habits.

Mayor Jin Gyo-hoon said, “I hope the Gangseo-type Health Promotion School project will serve as a foundation to increase physical activity among children and adolescents, prevent obesity, and foster healthy habits.”