Fighting Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is on the rise.  That’s a fact jack.  Despite our best efforts, kids are often moving less, eating fattier foods, eating larger portions, are more stressed, and the contributing factors list grows on and on… As a parent, I do what I can – both boys are on the swim team with daily practices and also compete in Jr. Triathlons… We eat healthy most of the time (80/20 rule people) but now that they are older (holy smokes, I’m only a FEW months away from having a teenager) I also realize that I have less control over them than I did when they were in my care 100% of the time…

Education is a huge part of the fight against obesity – both for our children and for ourselves.  Often, people mistakenly believe that they are doing the right things when really they are causing more harm than good – things like Diet soda for example, actually contribute to obesity – Not fight it.  But, in the quest for education, there’s hope.

Sanford Health, WebMD and Discovery Education announce today the launch of fit 4 the classroom, a unique program for elementary educators, students and their families to encourage healthier food choices and more physical activity among children. Supported with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) based learning materials for teachers, the program connects balanced eating and activity with sleep and a healthy emotional life for a more holistic approach to wellness.  

According to recent reports by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. From 2009 to 2010, almost 17 percent of children were reported obese. Educators and schools can play a key role in preventing childhood obesity by providing an environment where children can develop the good habits of a healthy and active lifestyle. fit 4 the classroom is designed to give educators the resources they need to create that healthy environment while also meeting STEM Common Core Standards.  

Rooted in the four pillars of fit – mood, move, food and recharge – fit 4 the classroom helps promote healthy habits among students through dynamic, up-to-date cross-curricular lesson plans that span across STEM subjects and videos aligned to national education standards. The lesson plans reinforce the interconnectivity of the four pillars and encourage insightful conversations between educators, students and their families, covering topics such as the effect of music on mood, the benefits of stretching, understanding how much sugar they consume, and how sleep affects the body and mind. 

Plus, there’s a sweepstakes to help fund the needed programs and education!

GRAND PRIZE:

• The winning teacher will receive $5,000 AND $5,000 for his/her
  school! All prize money to fund health and wellness education.
• PLUS, a special health and wellness school assembly!

SECOND AND THIRD PRIZES:

• Two teachers will win $1,000 AND $1,000 for their schools to fund health and wellness initiatives.
  Note: If the winners are Homeschool Teachers, the school prize will be
  awarded to a local non-profit organization.

*See official rules for more information.

Take a few moments to check out fit 4 the classroom and see if your kids school is signed up yet.  If not, share this with teachers and other school officials so we can, together, help fight childhood obesity across the country.

Disclosure: I have not been compensated in any way for this post.  Opinions are my own as always.  Slightly Off Kilter is not in any way shape or form affiliated with this sweepstakes or the prizes.  For official rules of the sweepstakes, please visit the link above.  For questions about the sweepstakes or other programs, please visit the sites of the sponsors. Basically, that’s just a really long way of saying, I’m just sharing info – for more specifics, you’ll have to check with the people who really know.