| Nutrition & Exercise Program |
Teaching kids how to eat smart and exercise freely.
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| A Little History and Our Motivation: |
Nearly two thirds of Americans are overweight today, and one out of every three is obese. To many, the idea of being obese is only a cosmetic problem, but the health problems associated with this growing epidemic are much more serious. Sadly, adults are not the only victims of this health epidemic, as childhood obesity is at an all time high as well. Every year more than 300,000 deaths are attributed to obesity; complications arising from childhood obesity range from various heart diseases, to diabetes, and high cholesterol, all of which were once health concerns only for adults.
The growing population of children with obesity is particularly disconcerting because the poor habits developed as a child are carried into their adulthood. Implementing educational prevention programs and spreading understanding about treatment for young America is paramount to controlling the obesity epidemic. Our local Pre-Med AMSA chapter is trying to do our part by presenting new ideas and strategies to improve the diet and exercise of elementary school children. Our program is aimed toward help build strong and effective health habits to protect the health of children now and in the future.
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| Our Program Here at Pre-Med AMSA Davis: |
Concerned with the rising obesity trends in America, UC Davis AMSA initiated a plan to deal with this unhealthy development. A continuing program to educate the youth about good nutrition and fitness habits was devised; the goals of the program would be to provide information to children about what food groups they should focus on and healthy serving sizes. The media and other sources often provide a great deal of distortion and misinformation about food and health to children. Pre-Med AMSA hopes to use this program to rectify these discrepancies and promote healthy habits.
Our highly interactive program targets children in elementary school and consists of a thirty-minute presentation. The first half of the presentation discusses nutrition and a healthy diet, while the second half deals with exercise and why it is important and relevant to a healthy lifestyle. Through these animated presentations, it is our hope that children will begin to grow a solid foundation of good judgment toward food and fitness, which would lead to a more health conscious population in the future.
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| Program contact: |
Bella McLennan: yamclennan@ucdavis.edu
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