In this ever changing world full of pressures and stress, our youth are growing up under the impression that they must live up to the stigma that society places on them.  They are supposed to look a certain way, think a certain way, act a certain way and ask no questions.  It is now wonder they walk the Earth confused during the most impressionable years of their lives!  73% of teens feel their appearance affects their body image and it is our job to steer them toward the truth. 

Visiting 147 8^th grade students each week, time is spent educating these teens on proper nutrition as well as the awareness of media influence, peer pressure, hidden ingredients, and more.   These students have been exposed to various exercise regimen and have seen that exercise can be fun.  They have been encouraged to taste foods they typically avoid and to look closely at nutrition labels for ingredients that they are consuming that they need to cut back on or cut out completely.  Knowing that 65% of teenagers say that their appearance is an important factor in their identity and they are afraid of gaining weight, we need to be proactive in teaching them healthy habits and exposing them to foods and exercises they would typically choose to have no part of.

In conversation with these 8^th graders, one female stated the following, “I know I have to stop relying on social media as much as I do because I allow pictures and ads to control how I eat and what I wear.”  Another male said, “I never exercise but these have been fun.  I have been sore in places I didn’t know I had feeling!  I am going to have my mom buy me a ball like yours so I can continue to do these at home.”  Testaments like these state the impact this Nutrition and Wellness class has had on these teens.