March is National Nutrition month. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors this event each year. The theme for 2013 is “Eat Right, Your way, Everyday.” As the obesity epidemic in the United States continued to worsen, it is appropriate for school to encourage children to eat right and to provide school lunches that are nutritious as well as appealing .According to the organization’s web site (http://www.eatright.org/nnm/. “The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. NNM also promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically based food and nutrition information.”
The United States Department of Agriculture has a wonderful web site ( choosemyplate.gov) At this site viewers can view links to such topics as eating healthy on a budget, sample recipes, and nutrition tips. Check out the link for educators and teachers. You will find coloring pages for children ages 6-11 as well as suggestions for kid friendly fruits and vegetables.
An additional web site that classroom teachers will find useful is from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/mfh/nnw/Nutrition
Nutrition is not the only issue that needs to be addressed in an effort to reduce childhood obesity in this country. Physical fitness and exercise go along with proper diet to help create a healthier America. There are several fitness programs that classroom teachers may want to take a look at to encourage their students to be physically fit as well as to eat right.
The “Let’s Move” program was initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama. http://www.letsmove.gov/. This colorful website offers activities for eating healthy as well as physical activity.
The National Football League is sponsoring a program called Play 60. (http://www.nflrush.com/play60/) The program encourages children to participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Finally take a look at the web site of Nourish Interactive. http://www.nourishinteractive.com/nutrition-games/learning-healthy-eating-fitness-childhood-habits. Here teachers will find quite a bit of useful information that can be used in the classroom.
Check out he charts from the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov). Their web site too has statistical information regarding the issue of childhood obesity.
c. 2013 j. margolis
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