In the 2015-16 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the national obesity rate for children ages 2-19 was 18.5%.  In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control reported Kentucky youth in grades 9-12 had a 20% rate of obesity with an additional 16% of youth categorized as overweight.  Kentucky is notoriously inactive, ranking 50^th in the CDC’s 2017 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System with 34.4% of adults reporting no physical activity or exercise other than their regular jobs in the previous 30 days.  In 2017, the CDC found that 51% and 49% of Kentucky adolescents (ages 9-12) reported eating fruits and vegetables respectively less than one time each day.  Given all that, it’s little surprise that 23.8% of Kentucky’s 10-17 year olds are obese, ranking as the nation’s heaviest state (2019-20 National Survey of Children’s Health). The Boyle County Extension Council has identified helping youth (middle school age and younger) to make good food and physical activity lifestyle choices as a primary focus of the Boyle County 4-H program.  “Exploring My Plate with Professor Popcorn” series is offered annually to all local schools grades K-3.  This year’s offerings are limited by the pandemic to Zoom and NearPod, but schools are offered a five-meeting series with each meeting to last approximately one hour.  Each daily program includes a pre-test, review of My Plate, in depth look at a food group, a physical activity and a post test.  The 4-H Agent and Program Assistants developed the class materials and foods based on the Professor Popcorn curriculum and adapted them for on-line delivery.  Nineteen classrooms (grades 2^nd and 3^rd) in the Boyle County and Danville Independent school systems have requested the series so far, reaching 460 students.  Highlights of the evaluations of classrooms include:

20% point increase in the number of 3^rd graders reporting eating vegetables every day.

11% point increase in the number of 3^rd graders reporting eating fruits every day.

19% point increase in the number of 3^rd graders reporting physical activity every day.

27% point increase in the number of 2^nd graders who could correctly identify physical vs. resting activities.

68% point increase in the number of 2^nd graders who could correctly identify grain foods.

25% point increase in the number of 2^nd graders who could correctly identify high protein foods.