Abstract:

In the process of getting old, the feeding is one of the main determiners of the health. It is imperative that the elderly, as responsible subjects for their self-care, incorporate healthy feed habits and take the responsibility for their feeding starting from new acquired concepts. One of the elements for that change of behavior is the Feed Education. The individual goes by the transition of a mechanical action of feeding, to make a conscience choice of the importance of the healthy feeding for the maintenance of their health1. Most of the people, pass most of their lives with inadequate feeding habits, and when arriving in the old age, they feel the necessity of changing. It is in this process, that the educational participative and integrative practices, can influence or change behaviors. This report, describes the experience of a proposal of educational resource about feed education, using the academical vegetable garden as strategy to influence the change of feed habits of elderly. Objectives: To motivate the practice of the healthy feeding through educational workshops and creation of the Academical Vegetable garden. Method: The activities started from the investigation of the elderly with overweight and obesity participants of the workshops of the University of the Third Age of the University of the State of Amazonas - UnATI/UEA. In the first stage, workshops were accomplished with theoretical classes and themes about healthy feeding. In the second stage, they were motivated to produce the foods through the creation of the academical vegetable garden with a technician's orientation on the handling of the vegetables. In the third stage they accomplished the planting of the vegetables. Results: Thirteen participated in the senior project, 2 men and 11 women. After the accomplishment of the workshops the seniors were questioned on the learning demonstrating knowledge of the applied content. According to the a participant's deposition: "It is an activity that we didn't know, for the elderly it brought a lot of advantage, besides bringing the knowledge brings exercises, I sweated, I lost weight, good... it was gratifying! ". After one semester, there was difficultto maintain the care with the vegetable garden in the dependences of the University, and the activity extended for the elderly's home, being still accompanied by the team. The final result of the experience showed that so much for the elderly, as for the responsible teachers of the project there was a significant difference in the level of apprehension of the knowledge as mentioned. "I have plenty, the basic: parsley, the tomato, white bean, besides I took the seed and I already ate white beans and until some pumpkin plant that I put there in the back yard..., then all this, was a very good experience!. When there is the student's involvement in the activities, the change of the habit starts to do part of your day by day. Conclusion: The use of a participative methodology in the elderly's learning, is an effective tool for the change of behavior. For the elderly participant there was incentive in the cognitive and functional capacity, change in the feed habits and satisfaction with the experience lived in UnATI-UEA.

Keywords:

Education, elderly, feeding.