To prevent child obesity, which has been increasing annually, Gangdong-gu (mayor Lee Jung-hun) announced the creation of the ‘Healthy Family Garden’, offering a monthly obesity prevention program for families with children in elementary school. 

 Gangdong-gu has purchased the Healthy Family Garden within the Gangil Garden for children who lack space to run freely and play while cultivating and harvesting gardens with parents and siblings. The garden was formed to help children to refine their identities through nature-friendly experiences and to naturally increase physical activity through garden cultivation to prevent obesity and promote health.

 The obesity prevention program ‘Eating habit improvement through hands-on crop cultivation and harvesting’ will take place on the fourth Saturday of every month for applicants from Seongil Elementary School, Myogok Elementary School, Goduk Elementary School, and schools running the Child Obesity Prevention Project.

 The main educational content includes land selection, seedling planting, and physical activities with various farming tools, the bean bag game, and setting up vine supports to foster teamwork and initiative, with healthy garden food cooking and a pledge to cut back on refined carbohydrates.

 An official commented, “The Healthy Family Garden is a nature-friendly space for children to visit at any time with their families for physical activity. Particularly the sunlight absorbed as children play in the garden will solve the problem of vitamin D deficiency, one of the main factors in child obesity.”

 A school parent taking part in the Healthy Family Garden commented, “I signed up prepared to have to drag my child to come here, but they enjoy it so much that we come out here every week. We hope to apply next year for a proper city garden and continue farming.”

 Gangdong-gu, taking the lead in city farming and the first in the nation to enact ordinances for city farming, currently manages 42 gardens. The scale itself is the largest among the autonomous districts in Seoul at 16 hectares, or the size of about 16 soccer fields.

The Gangil Garden, where the Healthy Family Garden is located, has a barbecue area, vegetable garden, and flower garden as a ‘yard-style vegetable garden’ that can be utilized as a family rest area, which makes it popular among school parents.

The sign-up period for the Gangdong-gu city garden has closed, but more information for future sign-ups can be obtained through the Gangdong-gu Office Urban Agriculture Division (☎02-3425-6552).

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