How Can we Contain this Epidemic? (W6P3)

When change comes, it will start in elementary schools. Habits do not stick unless they are taught to people when they are young. I had never thought about the role that the food pyramid had played in my generations health education. The children I nanny make absurd comments about things that are healthy which have always left me wondering what they have been taught in school. Most notably, the belief that Kings Hawaiian Rolls and diet soda are "good for you". I have also witnessed their parents calling Orange Crush "juice". This is not an isolated issue and how are children supposed to learn other than what their parents teach them. Even more concerning, once they know, can their parents provide those healthy foods for them. Over the summer with my nanny kids, we spent days learning how to make various healthy foods and I feel I had a major impression on them. Since then, their parents have bought healthy options for them. So, had their parents had the education, I do believe that these practices would not have remained. People are highly impressionable. I think that change can happen. If I can have an influence on two grade school aged children, imagine the impact that an organization of young people could have if they traveled to schools and taught them about lifestyle medicine and healthy food options. Not only would that be fun, but it would be informative. 

      Should schools offer crash courses for parents to learn affordable and healthy options? Parents should know the consequences of over nourishing their children. Are we just putting these signs in the lunch line sand expecting kids to understand and follow? What does DMPS tell us? Why is there a stigma around food? From here, I think I do want to research and come up with a plan for DMPS to encourage lifestyle medicine. Why do kids have to think that healthy foods are bad? If someone that they look up to jumps in and says that certain nutritious foods are good, I think most children would listen. Especially at those young and impressionable ages.