Apr 12 2008
The bRIGHT side
So far I have only manly touched on the many negative sides of obesity in children and how schools inhibiting the crisis. However, today I would like to change my focus to how some schools are moving towards a healthy education.
The Department of Agriculture has changed the students and teachers diets of Como-Pickton, Texas school district. The district takes the money provided from the Texas Department of Agriculture and purchases fresh veggies and fruit to supply to the students and teachers throughout the day. As an added bonus these treats are free, due to the agriculture grant. This means that about 930 students and staff can partake in the eating and this is just one of the twenty-five districts participating.
“The goal of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is to create healthier school environments by providing better food choices, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables that children experience, increase the children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, and ultimately make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health,” commented Lydia Walden, the assistant superintendent.
This is a perfect example of the type of change our schools need to consider. This project was authorized by Congress in 2002 and because of its success it has become a program under the National School Lunch Act. Most of the schools selected have 50 percent of their students receiving free or reduced price lunches. Although, quiet obviously this program hasn’t been inducted into most schools across the US, it is a positive way to fight childhood obesity through practice (and we all know that practice makes perfect J). Another positive side is that most kids don’t step outside their usual eating practices and by providing a variety of fruits and veggies they will experience new tastes and hopefully change their eating habits.
No more than 10 percent of the total grant can go towards administrative costs, which I think is a great restriction to place so that the majority of the money can go to fresh produce.
“’Fresh’ is a vital word. The program will not allow schools to use the funding to purchase processed or preserved fruits and vegetables.”
This means that canned and frozen items are out along with other fruit alternatives such as fruit leather, fruit pizza, and dips.
“Instead, new and different types fruits and vegetables that students would not normally have access to — such as kiwi, star fruit, pomegranate, rutabaga and kohlrabi — are encouraged, as well as other fresh favorites.”
In Edmond, Oklahoma the schools are promoting healthy eating and physical activities starting in early childhood so that students can learn ways of healthy living and carry it throughout their lives. They offer breakfast, which I have always thought to be the most important meal of the day and a way to keep students bellies full and their minds ready to go. Several schools have walking challenges and many of the pre-high school schools require that students participate in a walking or running program.
“At Washington Irving Elementary School, health and physical education teachers receive a $1,000 grant and resources from Schools for Healthy Lifestyles to educate students about things such as muscle strength, endurance and flexibility,” said Shana Classen, a physical education and health teacher.
These districts have taken strides to improve the health of their students. I was surprised to find that Congress had passed such an act in hopes of a long term goal of reaching all of America’s youth. I would consider, as a writing prompt to my students, whether all of Americas negative attention for being the fattest country- with the most means of prevention- is a big enough concern to start implementing programs such as this, or if we will continue to damn our youth into obesity. I think it is a great way to get the inside perspective of the students instead of hearing the information from the “outside.”
References:
“Bringing Schools Better Nutrition”
By Dawn Marks Posted on: Thursday, 10 April 2008
“Reading, Writing and Rutabagas”
By Faith Huffman Posted: April 10 2008
2 responses so far
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
[...] too cool for school wrote an interesting post today on The bRIGHT sideHere’s a quick excerpt … diets to impact their present and future health,” commented Lydia Walden, the assistant superintendent….The Department of Agriculture has changed the students and teachers diets of Como-Pickton, Texas school district…. [...]
Another resource being use to improve kid’s nutritional staus is a new book “The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.” Out only a few months and already being bought in quantity for class use. Parents and teachers interested in getting kids to develop a friendly attitude towards fruits and vegetables might want to take a look at it.
For kids of all ages as it is two books in one – children first learn their alphabet through produce poems and then go on to hundreds of related activities. It is coauthored by best-selling food writer David Goldbeck (me) and Jim Henson writer Steve Charney. More at HealthyHighways.com