The ProNutri Certification initiative was launched on Wednesday by the College of Nutrition Professionals and the Institute of Technical Standards of Costa Rica (Inteco) aiming to improve employee productivity and make people become agents of good habits at home.
According to specialists, workers have developed consumption habits with a high presence of industrial, fatty and sugary products, and a deficient consumption of fruits, vegetables and water.
The norm is to motivate public and private companies, schools and colleges, to implement nutrition services for workers, through actions that promote physical activity, varied and healthy menus, and talks that educate about healthy lifestyles.
Sonia Ivankovich, president of the College of Nutritionists, stressed that the latest National Nutrition Survey indicates that 6 out of 10 adults suffer from obesity, and the First School weight and height Census of 2016 warned that 34% of that population is overweight, placing Costa Rica among the 25 countries with the highest obesity rate in the world.
The ProNutri Certification has three axes that the companies must fulfill:
• Food service: healthy menu with several alternatives
• Nutritional Consultation
• Nutritional education
What we want is that people and companies that are part of this become multipliers to society and the family. If you learn to eat healthy and feel good, you will transmit it to your collaborators and family,”
said the spokeswoman. The interested companies will receive training to carry out the implementation of the plans, which will lead to have the ProNutri flag.
Organizations that are certified under this scheme will benefit from increased productivity, efficiency and economic performance, the promotion of sustainable employment and a positive environment as well as an increase in overall competitiveness.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) revealed in a study that inadequate food at work causes losses of up to 20% in corporate productivity And that by 2020 chronic diseases related to eating habits could represent 57% of the world’s diseases.