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Helping Kids Learn Healthy Eating Habits
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Business New Haven
11/10/2003
By: BNH
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NEW HAVEN - A pilot program to teach students healthy eating and exercise habits kicked off October 17 when more than 50 third graders from Barnard School visited the Hospital of Saint Raphael. Endorsed by Saint Raphael's board of trustees as an organizational initiative - the program is designed to reduce potential incidence of childhood obesity as well as the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Students toured the hospital's kitchen, which has soup kettles bigger than bathtubs and room-size refrigerators. They also participated in an interactive nutrition presentation by Barnard Physical Education teacher/Program Champion Anthony Verderame and Sr. Jean Ann Trainor, HSR's director of outpatient nutrition services. Afterward, the students enjoyed a healthy lunch.
Students have already been tested on their nutritional knowledge and physical fitness, and will be tested at the end of the year to gauge the program's success. Related topics and activities are being woven into the third-grade curriculum and will be taught by school and hospital staff. Additionally, at-home activities and opportunities for parental involvement have been developed.
According to data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 15 percent of children nationwide ages 6 to 19 were found to be overweight - triple the percentage in 1980.
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