Creative APS programs combat child obesity

Earlier this year, KOB Eyewitness News 4 reported that 33 percent of kids in APS are overweight or obese. Now we visited some of the district’s schools to find out what schools are teaching the kids about nutrition and fitness—and if the kids are getting the message. Travis Decker can spend two to three hours at a time on his skateboard. It can get tiring and it makes him think about his body in a way a lot of 8th graders probably don’t. “If I’m skating around and I just ate a whole bunch of sugar, I get tired a lot faster and an upset stomach, so it helps if you’re active to eat healthy,” says Decker. Decker is part of a new extreme sports club at Roosevelt Middle School—a club that’s possible because of the “NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60″ program. APS first got involved with the program last year. Roosevelt won 00 by getting every student to log onto the interactive website, where the students pledge to eat healthy and stay active for at least 60 minutes a day. Now that money is paying for the extreme sports club, intramural sports, and healthier snacks—like yogurt and pomegranates—that are offered between classes. APS hopes – it’s that easy. Like “Fuel Up to Play 60,” most of the district’s health and fitness programs focus simply on teaching kids healthy habits. KOB visited a 4th grade class at Montezuma Elementary School where the kids were sampling unusual cheeses. The “Kids Tasting” program visits four to five APS schools each year, giving each class at the school …

Suggested Readings

Tagged with: none

Possibly related posts