The Importance of Nutrition Kelsey Washburn kelsey.washburn@smail.astate.edu

Introduction In today’s society, everything is very fast paced. Everyone is on the go and has little time to sit back and take it all in. Since everything is so fast paced, often times our nutrition gets put on the back burner. After a long day at work and ballgames with kids, there is sometimes not time to make a well-balanced meal for supper. This leads to the consumption of unhealthy fast foods. When we put our nutrition on the back burner, health problems arise. We must learn to place nutrition at the top of our list and live a healthy and better lifestyle!

What is Nutrition? Nutrition is consuming the food/nutrients necessary for a person’s health, growth, and wellness. As children grow, it is important for their body to get the nutrients it needs in order for them to be healthy Without the proper nutrients, the risk of health problems arise. Children with bad nutrition often times become overweight, in which is a huge problem in America today.

Childhood Obesity A child becomes overweight or obese when they have a caloric imbalance. Caloric imbalance- when more calories are consumed than expended When looking at the school in 2012, over 1/3 of children and adolescents proved to be overweight or obese. From 1980 to 2012, childhood obesity in children has doubled and quadrupled in adolescents. In 2012, about 18% of children ages 6-11 proved to be obese, while about 21% of adolescents were.

Childhood Obesity When children suffer from childhood obesity, they are at a much higher risk of suffering from a health problem When adolescents are obese, they become at a higher risk of contracting prediabetes, which can then lead to diabetes. Children that are obese have an increased risk of having heart problems, joint problems, and they can also suffer from sleep apnea. Along with these health problems, children that are obese also suffer from having a low self-esteem.

How can we lower childhood obesity? Childhood obesity is very common in today’s society, but it can easily be lessened! Simple steps can decrease the amount of children that are overweight or obese such as: Better eating habits Exercise Activity Society factors

Physical Activity When lessening the childhood obesity number in America, implementing physical activity in the classroom can contribute tremendously! As the student’s are learning a lesson, implement physical activity to make it fun AND to help burn calories! For example, as the children are learning about fractions, have them do jumping jacks to demonstrate the numerator and denominator! To switch it up, change up the physical activity that is practiced. Maybe use sit-ups or push-ups! When implementing this kinds of activity in the classroom, the students will partake in exercising without even knowing it.

Physical Activity It is GREAT to implement physical activity in the classroom, but we should also push for the kids to get active outside of the classroom as well! Recess is great for kids. It is important to encourage the students to get active on the playground! In the community, there are always sporting events going on that children can participate in. Provide newsletters explaining these activities in hopes children will get involved! We should also support our kids in these activities.

Nutrition How do we know what good nutrition looks like? It is important to get the daily servings of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and protein. How do we know exactly much of each food group to consume each day? MyPlate provides great information of what a healthy diet looks like. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Improvements Present Breakfast Lunch Supper Snack Future Breakfast Donut, Captain Crunch cereal, Mountain Dew. Lunch Quarter Pounder and large fry. Supper Pizza, breadsticks, Dr. Pepper. Snack Snickers bar Future Breakfast Egg whites, wheat toast, fruit, and milk. Lunch Fresh salad with low-fat dressing, orange slices, water. Supper Baked Tilapia, rice, steamed vegetables, water. Snack Granola bar

Healthy Foods Avocados Apples Blueberries Eggs Lean beef Chicken breasts Walnuts Peanuts Salmon Coconuts Cucumbers Tomatoes Shrimp

Citations http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutrition https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm https://www.nutrition.gov/ https://www.choosemyplate.gov/