On Feb. 9, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Let's Move campaign, a nation-wide initiative to reduce obesity and weight-related issues among children by encouraging active, healthy lifestyles.
More health-conscious lifestyles can improve students' health and potentially lower the risk of obesity and weight-related health issues. Not sure if your child is a healthy weight? It only takes a few seconds to calculate your child's body mass index and determine whether a child is underweight, overweight or obese according to age, height and weight standards. Let's Move has helped communities and schools across the country educate others and further their own health-oriented programs, including Broughal Middle School in Bethlehem, Pa., and Kelly Elementary in Lewisburg, Pa. The Center for Disease Control's survey on the obesity epidemic among Pennsylvania students shows how these two schools compare with others across the state.
Broughal Middle School opened its doors in the fall of 2009 and educates approximately 600 sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Along with a new school building, students can look forward to new programs aimed at helping them live healthier lifestyles, fostered in part by grants from the community and Let's Move.
The school's greenhouse was made possible through a grant from the Bethlehem Health Bureau, and currently houses tomato and basil plants. With an irrigation system in the works, the school hopes to expand its horticulture and eventually provide vegetables not only for the school cafeteria, but also for the South Side community.
"Our hope is that we're able to [grow] some vegetables ... and sell them at the local farmers' market," Principal Ed Docalovich said.
But Broughal Middle School does not plan to give back to the community with just produce. A family center provides outreach to the surrounding area.
"We were able to make a connection with St. Luke's [Hospital] and Temple [University] ... to have their own school here at Lehigh Valley," Docalovich said.
The family center delivers free wellness clinics, including blood pressure and diabetes screenings earlier this month and physicals scheduled for next month.
The Lewisburg Area School District, of Lewisburg, Pa., also works with the community to encourage healthier and more active lifestyles.
"Our curriculum does focus a lot on the benefits of being physically active, and we work closely with the community recreation program to encourage kids to participate in out of school physical activity," said Tammie Cristini, a physical education teacher at Kelly Elementary in Lewisburg. "Our students at the elementary level are very involved in extra-curricular sports with the community. Many of the students are on various seasonal teams. Our team sports at the high school are flourishing."
But active kids require nutritious food to keep them going - both physically and mentally. Fortunately, Broughal and Lewisburg have stepped up to meet that challenge by not only providing healthy food, but also by educating students, as well. And education about nutrition is vital, according to Bethany Beaver, a junior nutrition major at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester, Pa.
"I believe researchers are now starting to truly understand the impact of nutrition on our health and I think research will continue to increase. It can be difficult because the information is constantly changing with new research and technologies. I believe the biggest problem, however, is the lack of nutrition education to the public. It is being studied, but it is not being understood," Beaver said.
However, between programs and workshops, two Pennsylvania schools are working hard to keep students up-to-date on healthy habits.
"We had the kids creating healthy eating habits [and] healthy dishes," Docalovich said, of the school's healthy eating program, adding that the nutrition isn't a new facet. "We've pretty much always done the healthy eating."
Likewise, the Lewisburg district has also altered its fare to reflect a more health-conscious lifestyle.
"Our cafeteria has made many changes with the menu and offers workshops to classes to teach the children about healthy nutrition," Cristini commented.
Broughal Middle School fosters growth outside of the classroom, as well. For the early risers - there are about 50 in the student body - there are morning exercise programs, too. And after school, students can take advantage of the fitness trainer and the school's new fitness room, complete with elliptical machines, treadmills, free weights and other exercise equipment.
But, in spite of the variety of programs and equipment, Docalovich recognized a need to reach the school's female students - apparently, the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders who helped the students celebrate their progress were more of a hit with the boys than with the girls. And what of students who are less partial to weight lifting?
"We need to target the female population," Docalovich said, adding that the school has acquired an Xbox Connect solely for that purpose. "This way, we're focused on the dance part - we're trying to gear that up for the girls."
However, Docalovich also added that, while healthy, active lifestyles are important, they are not the school's primary mission. Instead, physical activity and eating right contribute to the learning process.
"That's all tertiary to our main goal - learning," Docalovich said. "If you have kids who are coming hungry, they aren't thinking of learning."
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