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This study enhanced nutritional knowledge in an education program and encouraged healthy dietary habits and regular physical activity among teenagers. A total of 203 adolescents from a secondary school in Hong Kong took part in the study. Their Body Mass Index, dietary habits, and physical exercise pattern were recorded and examined before and after the health education program. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, together with the fat composition, were high among the participants before the nutrition education program. There was a marked gain in knowledge upon its completion. A follow-up action conducted 3 months later revealed positive outcomes in relation to the diet and physical activity level. The teenagers were able to take control of their health and requested the tuck shop to sell more healthy food and reduce the supply of unhealthy items. The educational initiatives in dietary habits and physical activities proved to be effective in encouraging the teenagers to eat more healthily and to adopt an active lifestyle.

For most age-related disorders there is no cure, and treatment is expensive and often ineffective. Thus, disease prevention is an issue of increasing concern and importance. Nurses form the largest professional healthcare group in the world, and the professional code of the modern day nurse advocates health promotion as a primary role. Nurses, by virtue of their close, direct interaction with their community and clients, are in a strong position to disseminate and reinforce the message of health promotion with the aim of achieving functional longevity in our aging population. This requires that nurses themselves increase their awareness, knowledge and understanding of relevant interdisciplinary research findings. In the current review, the influence of diet on the risk of four of the most prevalent age-related diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes) is presented, and the underlying mechanisms of influence are discussed, with particular focus on antioxidant-rich foods.