Healthy Eating and Academic Performance: Impact, Prevalence, and Guidelines for Schools

1. NutritionEducation & Services Lecture #5 CHS 485

2. Eating and physical activity patterns that are focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed choices, and being physically active can help people attain and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of chronic diseases, and promote overall health.

3. Impact of unhealthy eating Poor diet and physical inactivity are the most important factors contributing to an epidemic of overweight and obesity that affects adults and children in all segments of society. Even in the absence of overweight, poor diet and physical inactivity are associated with: • Cardiovascular disease • Hypertension • Type II Diabetes • Osteoporosis • some types of cancer.

4. Prevalence & Cost of Unhealthy Eating The dietary guideline of Americans (DGAs) focus particularly on children because of the vital role that nutrition plays throughout life span. Too many children are consuming diets with too many calories, not enough nutrients, and are not getting enough physical activity.

5. Healthy eating & academic performance - Children who practice healthy eating habits on a regular basis do better in school. Children who eat poorly or engage in too little physical activity don’t perform as they could academically. Unfortunately, many unhealthy eating patterns begin early in life and result in learning difficulties and health problems during the school years and into adulthood.

6. Healthy eating & academic performance Action for healthy kids (AFHK) identifies 2 important areas related to academic achievement: • Nutrition: • Children who do not eat healthy diets lack the essential vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins for optimal cognitive functioning. • Iron deficiency has been linked to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

7. Healthy eating and academic performance • Short term hungerfrom skipping meals can compromise cognitive development and school performance. • Teachers report higher levels of hyperactivity, absenteeism, and tardiness among hungry children than among their peers. • Increased participation in breakfast programs is associated with increased academic test scores, improved daily attendance, better class participation, and reduced tardiness.

8. Healthy eating and academic performance • 2. weight - Correlation between weight problems and academic achievement do not indicate causation. - Being overweight may exacerbate certain health conditions (e.g. joint problem) resulting in school absences. In addition to physical, psychological (low self-esteem, depression, anxiety disorder) and social problems related to their weight. (e.g. overweight students are often the targets of bullying.)

9. Dietary & physical activitypattern Healthy school food environment Food security Factors that influence healthy eating ❖ physical activity ❖ sedentary lifestyle ❖ energy intakelarge portion sizes, outdoor meals, sugar-sweetened drinks, high calories & frequent snacking.

10. Guidelines For Schools • In the school environment, classroom lessons alone are not enough to lead to lasting changes in students' eating behaviors. • Students also need access to healthy food and the support of the people around them. • Students receive a strong consistent message when healthy eating is promoted through coordinated school health program.

11. The centers of disease control and prevention (CDC) guidelines provide recommendation on seven aspects of school health efforts to promote healthy eating. • Policy • Curriculum • Instructions • Program coordination • Staff training • Family and community involvement • evaluation Guidelines For Schools

12. Policy: • Provide adequate time for nutrition education. • Provide healthy & appealing foods ( fruits, vegetables, and low fat grain products). • Discourage availability of foods high in fat, sodium, and added sugar. • Discourage teachers from using food to punish or reward students. • Provide adequate time and safe place for consumption of meals. • Formalize links with professionals who can provide counseling, refer to nutrition services, & plan health promotion activities for faculty and staff. Guidelines For Schools

13. 2. Curriculum • Implement a sequential, comprehensive nutrition education curriculum to help students in preschool through high schools (core concept). • Help students practice nutrition-related skills (planning healthy meals & comparing food labels). • Ensure students practice general health promotion skills: assessing health habits, setting goals, and resisting pressures to make unhealthy eating choices. Guidelines For Schools 3. Instruction • Integrate cross-curricular nutrition education strategies that are fun, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and learner-centered into classroom practice. • Give example :)

14. 4. Program Coordination • Coordinate school service and nutrition education with other components of the school health program to reinforce messages about healthy eating. Guidelines For Schools 6. Family & Community involvement • Encourage families and community involvement in reinforcing healthy behaviors. 7. Evaluation • Integrate regular evaluation and modification into nutritional health promoting programs. 5. Staff training • Provide pre-service and in-service nutrition education staff with training focused on strategies that promote healthy behaviors.

15. Guidelines for Nutrition Education Applications

16. Key Resources for Teachers • Important background for k-8 teachers: The DGAs recommendations encompass two concepts: • Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight. • Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverage.

17. Key Resources for Teachers 2. MyPlate Food Guidance System: - Myplate illustrates the five food groups, using the familiar mealtime visual of a place setting. My plate replace the food pyramid. www.choosemyplate.gov

18. 3. Food Labeling & Nutrition Key Resources for Teachers It provides nutrition facts including: Serving size, Calories, the nutrients, the % of daily value which is based on a 2000 calorie diet.

19. Key concepts: - Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.- Consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.- Eating whole fruits is best, but drink 100% juice when choosing fruit juice.- Make at least half of your grains whole grains.- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) dairy.- Consume 3 servings of dairy each day.- Limit soda and other sugar sweetened beverages. Water is the best option!

20. School strategies to promote healthy eating Personal characteristics, (knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, self-efficacy…) Environment, which influences the likelihood that healthy eating behaviors will be adopted through social norms, influential role model, cues to action, reinforcements, and opportunities to action. Interventions that promote healthy changes in eating behaviors need to target three interacting spheres of influence: Behavioral skills and experience. Which are related to selecting and preparing specific foods, dietary self-assessment, and decision making.

21. Strategies for learning based on NHESClassroom activities

22. Knowledge Expectations : NHES 1 : Core Concepts . Name the food groups and variety of food choices. . Identify the amount of food from each food group that a child needs daily. . Describe the benefits of eating fruits & vegetables. . Identify foods that are high in fat & low in fat. . Identify foods that are high in added sugars. . Identify foods that are high in sodium. . Explain the concept of eating in moderation. . Explain the importance of trying new foods. . Explain the importance of choosinghealthy foods & beverages. . Identify the benefits of drinking plenty of water. . Describe types of foods & beverages that should be limited. . Describe the benefits of eating breakfast everyday. . Describe how to keep food safe from harmful germs. Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.

23. Knowledge Expectations : NHES 1 : Core Concepts . Explain body signals that tell a person when they are hungry & when they are full. . Describe the benefits of eating foods high in iron. . Describe the benefits of consuming the adequate amount of calcium. . Identify foods high in fiber. . Identify examples of whole grain foods. Explain how to select healthy foods when dining out. . Explain methods to evaluate body weight. . Describe major chronic diseases and what should people eat. . Analyze the benefits of healthy eating. . Identify healthy & risky approaches to weight management.

24. Examples of: Strategies for learning Core Concepts Food tastingsGrade K-2 What's wrong with this picture? Grade 3-5 Teachers should instructs students on some of the following key nutrition concepts prior to this assessment: food groups, importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, food high and low of fat…etc. Once students have a solid understanding of the key concepts, teachers should present an example of a "what's wrong with this picture?"

25. Examples of: Strategies for learning Core Concepts Portion distortion!* Grade 6-8 Teachers show students how portion size of foods (cheeseburger, French fries) have changed during the past twenty years, and the changes in number of calories that have come with the distortions!

26. Skills Expectations: NHES 2 : Analyze influences Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behavior. Example of: Strategies for learning the ability to analyze influences Advertising bitesGrade 6-8With parents' permission, student can watch television (only one channel) for a specific period of time to collect information about food and beverage commercials.

27. Skills Expectations: NHES 3 : Accessing information, products, & services Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health. • Access health information, locate specific sources of health information, products and services to enhancing health in a given situation. • Evaluate health information sources, explain the degree to which identified sources are valid, reliable, and appropriate.

28. Example of: Strategies for learning the ability to access information Nutrients in nutshell Students can access information on the six essential nutrients atwww.kidshealth.org . students should work in six groups to investigate and report on the six nutrients. They should identify criteria in advance for "great presentation". • Grade 6-8

29. Skills Expectations: NHES 4 : Interpersonal Communication Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health related risks. • Use appropriate verbal & nonverbal communication strategies in an effective manner. • Use appropriate negotiation skills, refusal skills, and behaviors: eye contact, body language , attentive listening.

30. Skills Expectations : NHES 5 : Decision Making Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision making skills to enhance health. • Identify a health risk situation. • Examine alternatives. • Evaluate positive & negative consequences. • Decide on a health- enhancing course of action. Teachers can engage students in a decision making process to determine what types of food can be brought in to celebrate special occasion to encourage healthy eating.

31. Skills Expectations : NHES 7 : Self- Management Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks. • Monitor actions, and make adjustments, • Be able to self-assess, accept feedback, reflect on, • and take responsibility for actions. Example of: Strategies for learning how to practice healthy behaviors Preparing healthy snacks Grades k-2www.kidshealth.org offers healthy kid-friendly snacks that kids can make or help make with an adult assistant.

32. Examples of: Strategies for learning how to practice healthy behaviors Eat This Not That! *Grades 6-8 Teachers should present a lesson on strategies for making eating out more nutrition. Concepts include splitting a meal, ordering a smaller portion size, eliminating mayonnaise and other calorie-rich condiments. Have pairs of students use the nutritional concepts discussed throughout the lesson.

33. Skills Expectations : NHES 8 : Advocacy Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health. • Give clear health enhancing position. • Support for position, with facts, concepts, examples and evidence. • Audience awareness, show awareness for target audience, choose words, tone, and examples to suite audience. • Conviction.

34. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/vhs/index.html Nutrition services || Virtual Healthy School (VHS) - (Cafeteria)

35. Use meal times, such as school breakfast, snacks or lunch, to teach students about healthy options. • Make sure nutrition education isn't only happening in the classroom – Integrate it in the morning announcements and in the cafeteria. • Offer nutrition education in a systematic way (i.e. monthly, weekly, as a unit) as opposed to one-time or occasional lessons to help kids internalize the information. • Teach through entertainment; e.g. online nutrition games.

36. Extra Shots References • Telljohann, Susan Kay, Cynthia Wolford Symons, and Beth Pateman. (2001) Health education: Elementary and middle school applications.New York: McGraw-Hill. Chapter 2 and 3. • The Centre of Disease Control (CDC) * Action for healthy kids: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org • Journal of School Health. Suggested Readings - Virtual Health School - Cafeteria * https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/vhs/downloads/WSCC-Nutrition_Environment_and_Services_508c.pdf MyPlate Food Group Servings and Daily Amounts (ENGLISH)

37. Best! “ Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.“ — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe