The Importance of Nutrition EducationAs we all know we are currently facing a childhood obesity crisis where 1 in 3 children are either obese or overweight This could mean that many children born in 2000 or later might suffer from chronic obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease later in their lives This statistics portrays an alarming future however the good news is that there are ways we can stop this epidemic from spreading and turn this situation around

Nutrition education is the answer to this obesity crisis Knowing and understanding the long-term health benefits of balanced nutrition will help students make the right choices and develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime Schools are in a unique position to promote wellness and help ensure appropriate food and nutrient intake among students According to the Centers for Disease Control ldquoSchools provide students with opportunities to consume an array of foods and beverages throughout the school day and enable students to learn about and practice healthy eating behaviorsrdquo

Since increasingly more meals are being consumed away from home we as school nutrition professionals must provide a well-orchestrated nutrition education program Given that school meals only represent an average of 16 of meals consumed by students throughout the year it is essential that parents join us in this battle against childhood obesity and continue the nutrition education efforts at home

How to Implement a Nutrition Education Program Implementing a nutrition education program does not need to be a grueling or expensive task Many resources are already available to you free of charge Begin by creating a Nutrition Education task force This task force could be your Wellness Committee (already existing in many schools) and be comprised of teachers parents and guardians a representative of your foodservice team Physical Education teachers sports coaches etc

With this task force in place you can start gathering information and resources that can be used to build your program The USDArsquos program ChooseMyPlate is a great place to start It provides excellent resources and tools to implement a successful nutrition education program at your location Furthermore it offers free materials such as brochures and coloring sheets available for download and print that are appropriate for all grade levels The Letrsquos Move initiative also provides information on how to take action to help school children achieve a healthy lifestyle such as ldquo5 Simple Steps to Successrdquo Donrsquot forget to visit the School Nutrition Associationrsquos website It also offers content suitable for educators and school nutrition directors

The Most Important Tool to Win the Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Nourishing Growing Minds

One Size Doesnrsquot Fit AllRemember your program needs to be student friendly and age appropriate A nutrition education program is as useful as the message it provides You might need to adjust your program according to the grade level you are targeting making sure you are addressing the grade levelrsquos wellness concerns For instance a priority for elementary school could be to try unfamiliar fruits and veggies while for secondary students it could be to promote a healthy body image Such was the idea we had at Whitsons School Nutrition We created award-winning wellness education programs designed to help motivate and teach children to eat healthier at school at home and for the rest of their lives Our Nutrition Safarireg program features safari animals that represent 6 food groups (veggies fruits grains proteins dairy and snacks) and teach kids how the importance of healthy eating and exercise These characters are present in all of our educational materials such as posters menus flyers etc and they even visit the schools On the other hand our Smart Choicestrade program aimed at secondary students offers healthy menu choices monthly newsletters and informational pamphlets on a variety of important age-appropriate health issues We have also created lesson plans that could be used by teachers in the schools as well as by parents at home Donrsquot forget to involve the parents in your school community Theyrsquore the most important agents of change in this childhood obesity crisis

Nutrition education is the most important tool we have to win the fight against childhood obesity Children need to learn how to make the right decisions when it comes to eating and developing a healthy lifestyle In order for your program to be successful school and foodservice providers need to engage with parents to reinforce nutrition education efforts at home and take advantage of the resources available to you to develop a great program for your school community