Author: Kelli Bonifer
Planning Unit: Adair County CES
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Plan of Work: Strengthening Family & Consumer Sciences
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
According to the Kids Count Data Center, the obesity rate for Adair County is 14.9%. Research has shown there is a natural link between nutrition, physical activity, and reading. Reading books that focus on preparing and eating healthy foods and being physically active may motivate children to adopt positive food and physical activity behaviors that last a lifetime. The Adair County Cooperative Extension Service collaborated with Adair County Head Start to offer the Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary Youth Health curriculum (LEAP) to approximately 40 preschoolers during the 2018-2019 school year. The Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences visited Head Start during the school year to read stories which introduced nutritious foods, concepts of staying healthy, and being physically active and gardening. During the lessons, the students would engage in physical activities and food tasting that focused on fruits and vegetables. Teachers reported that as a result of the LEAP for Health program, 100% of the student’s recognized physical activity; 100 percent recognized when to wash their hands; Eighty percent of the students tried a new fruit and seventy percent of the students tried a new vegetable. Parents were also informed about the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity via newsletters sent home by the students.
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