WHO Pushes for Healthier Eating at School 1/30/26

On 27 January 2026, the World Health Organization released a new global guideline urging schools around the world to become champions of healthy eating for children. Recognizing that kids spend a large portion of their day in educational settings, the WHO emphasizes that what students eat at school can shape their lifelong dietary habits and influence their growth, learning, and long-term health. Childhood obesity is a growing concern: in 2025, about 188 million school-aged children and adolescents were living with obesity, surpassing the number of underweight children for the first time—a trend that raises the risk of chronic disease later in life. Schools, therefore, are vital frontiers in the fight against both excess weight and undernutrition, and the new guideline reflects this by promoting evidence-based policies that make nutritious food the norm rather than the exception.

The WHO’s guidance recommends that governments and school leaders set strong nutrition standards to increase the availability and appeal of healthy foods while limiting sugary, salty, or high-fat options in school cafeterias and food outlets. It also suggests “nudging” interventions—like placing fruits and vegetables at eye level or adjusting prices to make nutritious choices more attractive—to encourage better eating habits among students. However, policies alone aren’t enough: effective implementation requires monitoring, enforcement, and cooperation from educators, families, and food providers. With an estimated 466 million children receiving school meals globally, transforming school food environments could be a powerful step toward reducing health inequities, fostering healthier lifelong habits, and building a future generation that thrives both mentally and physically.

-Iverson