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Katherine Hill
Executive Director of the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
Faculty Member, LSU College of Education, Department of Kinesiology
As students head back to school this August, there are several simple steps that parents, school administrators, and the students themselves can take to improve their health and maintain a healthy lifestyle. From eating healthy lunches to shooting hoops, changing bad habits can make students feel better and do better in school.
This August many students will walk the halls of their schools and notice a major change: school vending machines will have healthy choices like granola bars and water bottles in place of sugary sodas and candy bars. This was a statewide initiative (along with a nation-wide movement) to provide students in schools with choices that promote healthy eating habits. The American Heart Association and the Obesity Council worked together with many groups such as the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance to get this resolution passed largely due to the astonishing estimate that the average American consumes more than a half a cup of sugar a day.
Having a high sugar intake, eating foods containing high levels of calories and fat matched with a couch-potato lifestyle are all factors that contribute to heart disease, obesity, and a whole host of serious health problems. Changing the selections at school to reflect healthy eating rather than poor eating habits is a tremendous step forward.
But, as most parents will agree, some children are just picky eaters. If they will not eat what the cafeteria serves and they do not like what the new vending machines have to offer, then parents still can play a part in shaping healthy eating habits. Packing a nutritious lunch for your child can be simple if you take time to consider what you’re putting in there.
For instance, Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches may not be fancy but most kids like them, they are quick to fix, and they are an excellent source of protein. If a whole apple is out of the question for your child, pack a box of raisins or carrot and celery sticks for dipping in yogurt or peanut butter. Stay away from juices, which sometimes are higher in calories and sugar than sodas. Good old fashioned water is the best thirst quencher and best for your body.
Eating breakfast and lunch can be simple easy way and healthy but parents also can inspire their children to be more physically active. With high stakes testing, rotating P.E. blocks, and limited resources, most children are not receiving the 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Some schools have no recess, P.E. classes are getting shorter and shorter, and 37% of high school-age children watch more than 3 hours of television per day. While schools play a role in reinforcing healthy lifestyles parents have a responsibility to do the same. Get outdoors, shoot some hoops, ride bikes, walk around the neighborhood—anything to get you and your kids moving.
The CDC supports that eating right and being active not only makes kids feel better physically and emotionally but it also enhances their academic performance. To learn more about the Healthy Youth initiative and how schools and parents can promote healthy and safe behaviors, contact the LSU Department of Kinesiology (225-578-2036) or visit the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/aag/dash.htm |
