Success StoryYouth Change Eating Habits with Professor Popcorn



Youth Change Eating Habits with Professor Popcorn

Author: Courtney Brock

Planning Unit: Lincoln County CES

Major Program: Health 4-H Core Curriculum

Plan of Work: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices & Accessing Nutritious Foods

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

According to the PRC Community Health Report for Lincoln County, 42.1 % of youth ages 6 – 12 are reported as being overweight/obese. The report notes the #1 community-identified health issue as obesity. A publication from the Kentucky Department for Public Health, reported that 16 % of Kentucky high school students report having zero physical activity in a week and only 17% eat the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables daily. In order to combat this prevalent issue, 4-H partnered with the Physical Education teacher at Highland Elementary and Waynesburg Elementary to create a nutrition education program with the hope of making lasting lifestyle changes. Using educational materials from the Professor Popcorn curriculum, an enrichment program was created for all 541 pre-school through 5th grade students at both of these schools. Preliminary results demonstrate that learning, understanding, and becoming familiar with the dietary guidelines of MyPyramid is helping youth make choices that will lead to healthier lifestyles. The program is focused on discretionary calories, healthy eating choices, and healthy physical activity choices. So far, reports from several parents indicate that youth are requesting healthier snack options.






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