Many American communities lack environments that could support healthy diets and regular physical activity. Healthy dietary and physical activity practices can lower the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancers.

2016 Kentucky adolescent statistics for dietary behaviors, physical activity, and overweight and obesity show:

• 44.6% of adolescents reported consuming fruit less than one time daily.
• 42.7% of adolescents reported consuming vegetables less than one-time daily.
• 22.5% of adolescents were physically active at least 60 minutes per day on all 7 in the past week.
• 15.4% of adolescents were overweight.
• 18.0% of adolescents had obesity.

*Data from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity 2016 Kentucky State Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Profile. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/profiles/pdfs/kentucky-state-profile.pdf

The Todd County Nutrition Education Program (NEP) assistant collaborated with Todd County Middle School Practical Living Class Teacher to help teach a Nutrition Unit to 7^th and 8^th grade students. The NEP assistant met with students for seven weeks, using “Teen Cuisine,” a cooking and nutrition education curriculum. Students completed a Web-based Nutrition Education Evaluation and reporting survey (Webneers), before and after completing the Teen Cuisine Lessons.

Each week the NEP Assistant would teach a lesson, and have students try a healthy snack related to that lesson. Example: Healthy Bean Dip for “You are what you eat” lesson, a Fruit Chewy Cookie for the “Find the Fat” lesson. The Practical Living Teacher reinforced each lesson with Teen Cuisine Student Workbook activities on days following the lesson. A group favorite was “Activity Charades.” A game acting out several types of cardiovascular activities that count towards the 60 minutes of physical activity needed each day.

Summary of the number of practices improved within clusters:

Diet Quality consistent with Federal Dietary Guideline recommendations.

• 97% of program participants improved one or more food selection behavior.
• 71% of program participants improved 2 or more food selection behavior.    

Food Safety:

• 58% of program participants improved 1 or more behaviors necessary to manage food safely.

Physical Activity:

• 58% of program participants improved 1 or more habits related to physical activity.

The practical Living Teacher had students write thank you notes to the NEP assistant for teaching the class. Most students said they had learned about the benefits of eating healthier meals and they liked the healthy snacks they had sampled. Nine students wrote they learned new food safety facts, thirteen wrote they now read the nutrition facts label and ingredient list to see what they are eating. Fourteen students said they were surprised about the amount of added sugar in beverages, and glad they learned about saturated fats and sodium in foods.