The Creating Healthy Bodies Campaign is a district wide health program for all elementary schools in Loudoun County Virginia and will focus on two groups, students and parents. The aim is to educate students and parents about the benefits of eating a healthier diet, including more fruits and vegetables. The ultimate purpose of the program is to reduce the childhood obesity epidemic that is affecting the health of our youth population.

Educating students will involve nutritional information that will be taught in their health and physical education class, which will be woven into the existing curriculum. The lessons will consist of 10 minute-mini lessons that will be taught throughout the school year by trained teachers.

The program will also focus on providing after school sessions for parents, which will teach them about the importance of their children consuming the recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals. The sessions will be conducted by volunteer teachers and/or school teachers who have been trained by the school district’s wellness coordinator to provide strategies focused on getting school aged children to consume the proper amount of fruits and vegetables.

Reflection:

The benefits of implementing the Creating Healthy Bodies Campaign benefits LCPS District in terms of having healthy, happy, thriving students. The ultimate goal of any school district is the promotion of health, well-being, safety, and success of their students.  Unhealthy lifestyle habits, including inactivity and consumption of unhealthy foods, are contributing to the obesity epidemic that is effecting out nation’s youth.  School districts should make every effort to help increase student knowledge about healthy behaviors as well as provide guidance as to how to make successful changes.

 

Childhood obesity has reached epic proportions in the United States with more than 1/3 of children being overweight and nearly 18% of children between the ages of 6-11 being obese. The health consequences of childhood obesity include diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Keep reading to see how the Creating Healthy Bodies Campaign plans to combat overweight and obesity in our youth populations.

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Mission Statement:

Working with the Loudoun County Public School District personnel, parents, and caretakers, our program seeks to promote the health and success of the students by increasing student knowledge about healthy behaviors as well as providing guidance as to how to increase their fruit and vegetable intake while reducing consumption of competitive foods. Please continue reading to learn about the goals and objectives of the program.

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Implementation of the Creating Healthy Bodies program will consist of three main components: 1. an environmental component focused on the availability of unhealthy competitive foods and the ease of access to healthy fruits and vegetables; 2. a curriculum component focused on providing key nutrition information to elementary aged students; and 3. a teacher training component. The specific policy goal will be the reduction of competitive foods being sold in the schools and outside of the school meal plan. This policy will include all foods sold in school vending machines, snack bars and school stores. The program will be based on the social-ecological framework. It will be implemented in a school environment and it will include district and local school staff, parents, and community members.

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Inputs	Activities	Outputs	S-T Outcomes	I-T Outcomes	L-T Outcomes
Program members develop nutritional education coursework for teachers and staff implementing the school wide program.	Program members will deliver a series of seven one hour professional development classes throughout the participating schools.	59 elementary schools in Loudoun County Virginia with 37,728 elementary school aged children participated in the nutrition promotion program in their health/PE classes.	Teachers and staff members involved in the nutrition program gain understanding and self-efficacy about the importance of improved nutrition as well as the benefits of increasing FV while reducing competitive foods.	Teachers and staff members become increasingly more comfortable with nutritional concepts and are able to seamlessly incorporate nutritional content throughout class lessons. Student behavior changes as they increase FV and decrease competitive foods.	Both teachers and students have a greater understanding as to how and why to choose healthier options to prevent adverse long term health effects due to eating an unhealthy diet. Obesity prevention and an increased quality of life.
Program members will develop nutrition education program to administer to family members and caretakers of elementary school children.	Program members will deliver twelve, 45 minute “parent night” sessions to provide information about the benefits of eating more FV. Sessions will be conducted once a month and, at times, will provide hands on instruction.	75% of parents/caretakers of elementary school aged children in LCPS will attend 65% of after school sessions. Parents will participate/observe demonstrations and will receive informational brochures to take home.	Parents and caretakers learn the importance of increased FV intake and the negative health effects of overconsumption of competitive foods.	Parents and caretakers gain the confidence to shop for and include more FV throughout their family’s daily diet.	Beneficial health outcomes due to improved diet, obesity prevention, and reduction in adverse long-term health effects. Improved relationships with teachers, parents, and community members.
Program members engage with school supervisors to change school policy to provide more FV and decrease competitive foods.	Program members meet with LCPS district supervisors to discuss changes to school wellness policies regarding competitive foods.	Three meetings will be arranged with program members and stakeholders to evaluate the current school wellness policy and potential changes to the allowance of competitive foods on school property.	Stakeholders will gain knowledge as to the adolescent obesity epidemic and the role that competitive foods play in reducing FV consumption.	Changes will be made to the current school wellness policy and competitive foods will be reduced or eliminated on school grounds during school hours.	Beneficial health outcomes due to improved diet, obesity prevention, and reduction in adverse long-term health effects as well as improved relationships with local food vendors and farmers.

 

References:

Loudoun County Public School. (2020, January). 2019-2020 Fact sheet. Retrieved from https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib/VA01000195/Centricity/domain/1/2019%202020%20document%20uploads/Fact%20Sheet%202019-2020_01062020.pdf

McKenzie, J.F., Neiger, B.L., &Thackeray, R. (2017). Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Health Promotion Programs: A Primer (7^th ed.). Pearson Education

Reflection:

The logic model that I developed for my program appears to flow and build upon each one of the required steps successfully. However, one thing to consider is that often times things do not go according to plan.  I feel like there needs to be a “plan B” or a back up plan for the inputs and activities. For example, what if some of the inputs were not available or as we progress through the steps, some of the activities were not interesting or helpful to the participants? Going forward, I would make sure that I had considered a few more inputs and activities to select from just in case they were not suitable for a program.

Alright, it’s time for dinner! We’re having hamburgers, hotdogs, baked potatoes, and salad! Unfortunately, as soon as a salad is mentioned, there are a bunch of moans and groans. If this is what happens when you serve fruits and vegetables, keep reading!

If you are like most parents, it can be a real struggle to get your kids to eat healthy foods. Often times parents have to fight, coax, and bribe their kids to eat their fruits and vegetables but there are lots of tips and strategies to get these good for you foods into those young vitamin hungry bodies.

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The ultimate goal of any school district is the promotion of health, well-being, safety, and success of their students.  Unhealthy lifestyle habits, including inactivity and consumption of unhealthy foods, are contributing to the obesity epidemic that is effecting out nation’s youth.  School districts should make every effort to help increase student knowledge about healthy behaviors as well as provide guidance as to how to make successful changes.  Opportunities should be provided throughout the school day to practice these healthy habits and behavior changes in order to reinforce and model students’ new found knowledge.

 

(Monkey Business Images, n.d)

 

• Students who are lacking important nutrients such as vitamins A, B6, B12, C and calcium, have been shown to have increased absenteeism, lower grades, and increased tardiness.
• Students who eat nutrient rich foods have higher academic success.

 

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Health and academic achievement. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/health-academic-achievement.pdf.

Lewallen, T.C., Hunt, H., Potts-Datema, W., Zaza, S., Giles, W. (2015). The whole school, whole community, whole child model: A new approach for improving educational attainment and healthy development for students. Journal of School Health, 85, 729-739.