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by Eliza Pandosh, Science and Sports teacher

What is the largest difference between children today and children of the past? It's not what they wear or listen to and it's not their purple hair; it's their lifestyles. These new lifestyles are causing a huge increase in childhood obesity. And this nationwide epidemic is meeting strong resistance at SRV.

Teaching children about healthy lifestyles and healthy eating habits has become as important as teaching about math and reading. The choices our children make today will affect the way they live for the rest of their lives. The good news is that the two main causes of childhood obesity are easy to modify. The sedentary activities that have children spending too much time in front of the TV, game console or computer can be replaced with physical activity, while the non-nutritious snacking that often accompanies these stationary pursuits can be eliminated by establishing and maintaining healthy eating habits.

For students to be able to make these changes, they need to understand their bodies, their habits and how food and exercise affect them. At SRV we not only encourage students to be active, but to find physical activities that they enjoy and in which they will continue to participate as they get older. Here, children learn to identify and understand their eating and exercise habits, and to develop healthy habits. By keeping Food Journals, for example, they examine how eating habits affect short-term and long-term health, and how their moods can affect and be affected by these habits. Students also learn about different types of fats, how to read labels, what portion control looks like and intake versus energy expended. Together we discuss topics like the role of "convenience" in the American diet and gender stereotypes around food.

The SRV Organic Garden and Learning Center also offers students a hands-on connection to healthy eating habits. Tending the garden helps to create a natural tendency to snack on healthy vegetables and fruits rather than chips and candy. Students are proud of the work they do in the garden: we've even gotten reports of some asking if they can help make dinner using the types of vegetables they are growing at school.

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