Revised Food Guide Pyramid

Summary

Georgia children are at risk of developing serious health problems at an early age due to a lack of proper nutrition. Educating children about the revised Food Guide Pyramid will increase their awareness of the foods that comprise a healthy diet. Children will make healthier food choices when healthy foods are available and encouraged.

Situation

American children are at a greater risk of developing obesity at a young age than any previous generation. The unhealthy eating habits of the children and their families contribute greatly to this problem. Research conducted by the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences shows that approximately 20% of Georgia's children are currently overweight, compared to 15% of children in the United States. Obesity in childhood is a serious concern because the condition of obesity is likely to progress into adulthood. Overweight children and adults are at a much greater risk of developing chronic health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. Diets of overweight children in Georgia generally do not reflect the Food Pyramid model. Research has found that their diets contain above the recommended amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. Likewise, they tend to consume far below the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables.

Response

The Habersham County FACS agent has taken many steps to raise awareness of childhood obesity. In the spring, each 4H class conducted for 6th graders, approximately 150 children each month in three schools, focused on an aspect of making healthy food choices and nutrition. Community leaders were alerted to the problem through a conference held in the summer focusing on developing health partnerships among agencies and individuals. The Agent also published several newspaper articles on the topic of obesity in Georgia and tips for families to develop improved eating habits. As a result of this raised community awareness, the school counselor at Baldwin Elementary School and the agent developed a plan to teach the new Food Guide Pyramid to each student in the school. As part of “Its Healthy!” month, the counselor brought in guest speakers each week for 4 weeks to speak to each class about a developing a healthy lifestyle. The agent presented a 30 minute lesson on the new Food Guide Pyramid. The children were allowed to discuss ways they could incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diet and I also brought in foods that many of the children were not regularly exposed to in their homes, such as kiwi, coconuts, and jimica. Due to its location in the county, Baldwin Elem is a racially diverse school. Approximately 51% of the 475 students at Baldwin Elementary are Hispanic. The lesson incorporated many foods found in a traditional Hispanic diet and discussed where those foods fit into the Food Pyramid.

Impact

As a result of raised community awareness, several leaders have adopted the issue of childhood obesity and taken proactive steps to include nutrition in their programming. At Baldwin Elementary, each child was sent home with a note to their parents explaining the “Eat Smart, It's Healthy!” lesson and provided with simple ideas they could adopt as a family to improve the health of their diet. Each child was also given a handout with 15 different fruits and vegetables. The children circled the ones they had tried before and, by a show of hands, 100% of the children responded that they would discuss the handout with their parents and choose one new fruit and vegetable to try within the next week. We also reviewed the school lunch menu for the week and the children were able to correctly identify how they could prepare a healthy meal from their lunch choices. 90% of the teachers at Baldwin Elem. were unaware of the changes and revisions in the food pyramid and were teaching lessons using the outdated models and lesson plans. Each teacher was provided with an updated copy of the food pyramid handout and instructed to visit the website mypyramid.gov to download current lessons and receive free materials to teach lessons on nutrition. Feedback from this program was very positive from teachers and students and plans are being made to provide these lessons and information to teachers and students in all Habersham County Elementary schools.

State Issue

Healthy Lifestyle Choices for Youth

Details

• Year: 2006
• Geographic Scope: County
• County: Habersham
• Program Areas:
  • Family and Consumer Sciences

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