Raising Awareness Hunger & Obesity By: Carshella, John, & Jeremy

Objectives To help you understand how obesity & nutrition effects the learning experiences. To provide strategies to help alleviate issues directly/indirectly related to Obesity & Hunger. To provide current & relevant statistical breakdown. To provide current & relevant statistical breakdown. To provide recommended nutritional intake

Goals To raise awareness on issues To help people understand the disparities and how they correlate with Hunger and Obesity To provide tools & resources for engaging communities in preventing Hunger & Obesity

What is Obesity & Hunger? Obesity means having too much body fat. BMI is used: not very good!! It is not the same as being overweight, which means weighing too much. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bone, or water, as well as from having too much fat. Hunger is mostly commonly defined as a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat.

Causes for Obesity? Many people do not have time to plan and make healthy meals. People with less free time have less time to exercise. Environment: Living in a place that has easy access to high calorie low nutritional value foods Eating more food than your body can use Not getting enough exercise

Dig Deeper? (What Causes Weight Gain) Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) Medicines such as birth control pills, antidepressants, and antipsychotics Stress, anxiety, feeling sad, or not sleeping well Depression or low self esteem Genetics 80% of those who come from obese parents will become obese themselves.

Causes of hunger? Nature Nature Population growth Population growth Agricultural infrastructure Agricultural infrastructure Poverty Poverty

Food insecurity and security Food security: Food insecurity: Poverty puts households at much higher risk of food insecurity and hunger

Who’s at risk for food insecurity? Groups at higher-than-average risk of food insecurity nationally: –Households with incomes below FPL –Households with children –Black households –Hispanic households

Health Effects of Food Insecurity Cognitive, behavioral and physical problems Nutritional deficiencies DiabetesObesity Chronic stress – stressful home environments

Hunger Affect on learning. Food insecurity contributes to a range of health, behavioral, and learning difficulties. Children from food insecure households are likely to be behind in their academic development compared to other children. This makes it difficult for them to reach the same level of development as their fellow food secure peers.

Addressing the Issue watch?v=6C9ShzCKgOU watch?v=6C9ShzCKgOU

Where do kids eat?

Why Eat Breakfast? Evidence Increases ability to learn Contributes to improvements in test scores Improves behavior Improves diet quality May decrease risk of being overweight Decreases tardiness, absenteeism, and school nurse visits

What Can You Do? *Connect with your local school districts about school breakfast options –Do they offer breakfast? –If not, what are some barriers? –Is there administrative or parent support? -Ask about school wellness policies and help incorporate school breakfast into school wellness policies

FARM TO SCHOOL BENEFITS atch?v=9vhsgYbhVtA atch?v=9vhsgYbhVtA Increased knowledge/awareness of food and healthy eating Willingness to try new foods Increase in school meal participation Open new markets for farmers and help expand customer base Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (+0.99 – 1.3 servings per day), including at home

How to make Farm to School a Reality? Build community support and awareness Convene groups of stakeholders for a meeting to discuss farm to school Include food service directors from the start! Include food service directors from the start! Assess feasibility of implementing farm to school Explore/raise funds for school garden Incorporate farm to school in school wellness policy Start small!

References Schwarz, S., & Peterson, J. (2010). Adolescent obesity in the united states (facts for policy makers). nccp, Retrieved from (2011). Facts for families. American academy of child and adolescent Psychiatry, (79), Retrieved from Childhood obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved from Other Good Articles to check out learning-behaviour learning-behaviour Feeding America: Feeding America: Impact of School Breakfast on Children’s Health and Learning, Nov School Nutrition Association Meeting, July