~~Figures from the 2016 SNAP-Ed Annual Report show 37.1% of children in Kentucky are overweight or obese. That is up from the 2013 report showing 34.3%, with an obesity rate of 19.7% for 10-17 year olds. The McCreary County Extension SNAP-Ed Program partnered with Pine Knot Intermediate School to bring nutrition education classes to the 4th-6th grades, featuring, Surviving a Fast Food Nation and Re-think Your Drink programs.  We met with the students one day a month for seven months.  The program provided nutrition and health information to promote healthy food choices consistent with my plate, an understanding of limiting fats, sugars and salt.  Also, the choices we make in what we choose to drink is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle.  Throughout the program the group was encouraged to get an hour of physical activity each day.  Lessons consisted of interactivities, take home materials, food sampling and physical activity items, pedometers, jump ropes and frisbees to take home. The 2016 Annual Report stated youth participants in McCreary County experienced positive behavior changes, with 56% improving their ability to choose healthy foods. There were 375 participants at Pine Knot Intermediate, ranging from ages 10-14.  Several of the students stated that seeing the visuals that were presented to them, such as, the pound of fat, tubes of fat, sugar tubes, and the game consisting of several different drinks and letting them as a group decide which had the most sugar, was very helpful in teaching them how important it is to make the right choices in what we eat and drink.  One student stated she always looked to see if restaurants offered healthier choices before ordering now.  Another student stated that he played catch with his dog, with the frisbee he had been given, in the afternoons instead of turning on his computer as soon as he got home. The health instructor stated that the behavior he had witnessed with the youth led him to believe they better understand that the choices they are making  on a daily basis affects our health now and for years to come.