Factors affecting food preferences of primary school pupils

In the Czech Republic and the whole world, the global prevalence of overweight children and child obesity is increasing. This situation may result in a continuation overweight or obesity until adulthood and development related diseases, social and psychological discomfort. Overweight in children and adolescents may have a variety of negative consequences, affecting not only quality of life, but also health in adulthood. These include, for example, osteoporosis, diabetes second type, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, dyslipidemia or metabolic syndrome, but also the psychological aspects. Skipping breakfast or snacks and the overall low frequency of eating is often associated with high consumption of sweetened beverages and foods, high in simple sugars and a large amount of fat, which affects the development of overweight and obesity. The creation of the principles of good eating and lifestyle is depending on lifestyle of the whole family in childhood or adolescence. The environment for eating, which is created by family and school, has positive effect on promoting healthy eating and it can contribute to reducing the obesity epidemic. This study presents evidence on the level of nutrition education for elementary school pupils in the Czech Republic. Confirmation of the hypothesis, which is based on the fact, that absence of breakfast and snacks in children eating habits leads to a higher frequency of purchases of energy-dense foods with inappropriate nutritional composition, should highlight the need for increased intervention in the topic of parent's and children's eating habits. Results should support the importance of regular meals and nutritional balanced home-made snacks in children's eating habits, which could reduce the percentage of overweight and obese children and also the percentage of obese adults in future