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ArielaEngber

BethSherman

RWS305

7November2012

NewYorkTimesOpEd:NutritionalIntegration

WithwidespreadmediacoverageoftheobesityepidemicintheU.S.,isnosecretthat

Americahasaweightproblem.However,obesepeoplearenottheonlyonesatrisk.Millionsof

Americanlivescontinuetobeendangeredbyunhealthydiets,lackingbasicnutritional

knowledgenecessaryinforminghealthyeatinghabitsduringtheirformativeyears.

Untilaboutayearago,IwasoneoftheseAmericans.Ineverlookedatfoodlabels

beyondaquickglanceatthecaloriecontentandservingsizetipsthatIwasluckytohave

learnedathomeearlyon.Lookingback,IamastoundedthatImanagedtogetthrough13years

ofpublicschooleducationand3yearsofcollegewithoutknowingthatmyregularconsumption

ofdiet-sodasandsaltyfoodswascausingmetoexceedmySodiumintakeby1,000+mgaday.

MyyearsofpoordietaryhabitsarereflectedbytheCenterofDiseaseControls2012

findingthat90%oftheU.S.populationisconsumingtoomuchsodium.Accordingtoanearlier

reportpublishedontheirwebsitein2011,theaveragedailysodiumintakeforAmericansage

2yearsandolder[was]3,436mg.Thisissignificant,consideringthereportsrecommendation

of150-1,800mgofSodiumperdaywithamaximumof2,300mg.TheCDCsreportfurther,

explainedthat:highsodiumconsumptionraisesbloodpressure.Highbloodpressureisamajor

riskfactorforheartdiseaseandstroke,thenation'sfirstandthirdleadingcausesofdeath,

respectively.WhileSodiumisbutonenutritionalelement,Americansexcessivedailyintake

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clearlyillustratesthatthereisadiscrepancybetweenwhatweshouldbeconsuming,andwhat

weareconsuming.

However,itcannotbeassumedthatthisdisparitystemsfromaconsciouschoiceto

ignorenutritionalinformation,asitismuchmorelikelyduetoalackofnutritionalknowledge.I

knowthatinchoosingtodrinkmydailydiet-sodaIwasonlyawareofthefactthatitwascalorie

free,completelyoblivioustoanyothernutritionalelements.WhileIhadbeentaughtbasic

nutritioninschool,IcanbarelyremembertheonesemesterhealthclassthatItookinhigh

school.Ivaguelyrecallcoveringthefoodpyramidandlearningabouthowsaturatedfatclogs

arteriesamongstthejumbleofotherhealthinformationcrammedintothecourse,including

sexualprotection,eatingdisorders,anddepression.

CaliforniaCongressmanJoeBacarevealsthattheaverageamountoftimespenton

nutritioninthefirstfouryearsofU.S.publicschooleducationis13hoursperyear.

Comparatively,theCenteronEducationPolicyreportedthat8hourswerespentonEnglishper

weekalone,equatingtoatotalof32hoursamonth.Despitetheobviousdifferencebetween

thesesubjectsasEnglishis,andalwayshasbeen,acoresubjectthat'simportancecannotbe

understatedtheminisculeamountoftimedevotedtoNutritioncomparativelyreflectswhere

schoolsarefocusingtheirtime,money,andenergy.

Tobesure,manyschoolsareattemptingtoprovidetheirstudentswiththebesthealth

educationthattheycan,butinthecurrenteconomicclimate,theysimplylackthefunds.Giventhe

estimationpublishedbyJournalofPrincipleLeadershipin2013thattwo-thirdsofschooldistricts

acrosstheUnitedStatesexpecttoeliminate[staff]positionsandaquarterexpecttouse

furloughstocutcosts,itisunderstandablewhyschoolsarenotfunnelingtheirmoneytowards

intoanexpansivenutritioninitiative.However,whilethecurrentcurriculumsupportstheU.S.

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DepartmentofEducationsmissiontopromoteachievementandpreparationforglobal

competitiveness,itisfailingtoequipchildrenwithbasicinformationthattheyneedtobecome

healthyadults.WiththeCDCsreportthatchildhoodobesitywas20%in2008almosttriplethe

amountsince1980-wemustfocusonfindingalong-termsolutionsothatAmericanchildrenwill

haveenoughnutritionaleducationtobecomehealthyadults.

Thelackofnutritioncurriculuminschoolsmayinpartbeduetothefactthattheroleof

teachinghealthandnutritionhastraditionallybeenleftathomewithparents.However,

consideringthattheCDChasdeemedmorethan35%ofthecurrentU.S.adultpopulation

obese,itisclearthatmanyadultsarenolongerequippedtotakecareofthemselves,muchless

Americasfuturegenerations.ForyearsmybrotherandIwereservedhomemadeMacand

Cheese,which,whiledelicious,equatedtoroughly30gramsoffatpermeal(aswelacked

properportioncontrolandateatleastdoubletheservingsize).ItwasonlywhenIwasinhigh

schoolthatmymother-freshwithnutritionknowledgefromherpersonaltrainingcertification

test-decidedtocookhealthieroptionsandeliminatefattymeals.Whilemyfamilywaslucky

thatourmealsbecamehealthierwithmymothersnewexpertise,Ihadalreadyformed

unhealthyeatinghabitsearlyonandwasresistanttothechange.ItwasonlywhenIwas

researchingapaperduringthespringsemesterofmyJunioryearofcollegethatIrealizedmy

unhealthyeatinghabitsandconsciouslydecidedtofindoutmoreinformationandmakea

change.Canwecontinuetorelyonparentswhodonthavenutritionalknowledgetoteach

childreneatinghabits?Onthehopethatchildrenwilldecidetoproactivelyeducate

themselves?

Thisissimplyunacceptable.Whilebudgetandtimearetheprimaryconcernsassociated

withfocusingattentiononnutrition,increasinghealtheducationdoesnothavetobeexpensive

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ordivertattentionfromothersubjects.NutritioncanbeeasilyintegratedK-12acrossvarious

subjectssuchasMath,EnglishandScience.AccordingtoastudyconductedbyJodySwigris,a

programimplementedinaMiddleSchoolfoundnutritionintegrationintomathclassesresulted

insignificantincreasesinnutrition,fitness,andmathknowledge.Thoughthestudys

nutritionalintegrationwaslimitedto8thgrademathclasses,itssuccesshasbroader

implications.AnarticlepublishedintheAmericanJournalofHealthStudiessuggestswaysthat

nutritioncanbeseamlesslyintegratedinscienceclassesstudyingphotosynthesisandfood

chainswhilefoodproduction,distribution,andavailabilityconceptsintegratewithlessonsin

geographyandclimate,history,andeconomics.Mathintegrationcanbetaughtacrossgrade

levels,startingwithbasicaddingandsubtractingofgramsofsugar,tocalculatingdailycaloric

ratiosandBMI(BodyMassIndex).TheAmericanJournalofHealthStudiesarticlealsoexplained

thattheseintegratedmaterialsarealreadywidelyavailableinmanyforms,includinglesson

plans,textbooks,andonlineactivities.Sincetheselessonsarecombinedwithcontentfromcore

subjects,currentmaterialscansimplybereplacedwithnutritionallyintegratedcontentwithout

incurringadditionalcosts.SchoolBoardsshouldimplementnutritionintegrationintothe

currentcurriculum,asitoffersanefficientandinexpensivewaytoenhancestudentseducation

whileimprovingtheiroverallqualityandlongevityoflife.

Whileitmaynotbeascomprehensiveasafullnutritionprogram,withlimitedtimeand

moneynutritionintegrationinschoolscanprovidechildrenabasicfoundationofknowledge,

allowingthemtoreadfoodlabelsandactuallyunderstandthem,tolearnthatcaloriesarenot

theonlywaytoassessnutritionalvalue,andtoformlong-lastinghealthyhabits.Arentfuture

generationsentitledtothisknowledge?

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WorksCited

AdultObesityFacts.DivisionofNutrition,PhysicalActivity,andObesity,13Aug.2012.Web.7

June2012..

AmericansConsumeTooMuchSodium.NationalCenterforChronicDiseasePrevention,24Feb.

2011.Web.30Oct.2012..

Baca Introduces Legislation to Require Nutrition Education in Schools. U.S. House of

Representatives, 9 Feb. 2011. Web. 29 Oct. 2012.

.ChildhoodObesityFacts.NationalCenterforAIDS/HIV,7June2012.Web.7June2012.

.

Choices,Changes,andChallengesCurriculumandInstructionintheNCLBEra.Centeron

EducationPolicy,Dec.2007.ProQuest.Web.30Oct.2012.

Eliassen,E.K.,&M.W.Wilson.SelectingAppropriateElementarySchoolNutritionEducation

Resources.AmericanJournalofHealthStudies22.4(2007):224-7.ProQuest.Web.30

Oct.2012.

OverviewandMissionStatement.U.S.DepartmentofEducation.Web.30Oct.2012.

Schoolbudgetblues.PrincipalLeadership,13.1(2012):4.ProQuest.Web.29Oct.2012.

Swigris,JodyLynn.WellnessIntegratedMathematics.n.p.:2011.

Where'stheSodium?There'sWayTooMuchinCommonFood..NationalCenterforChronic

DiseasePrevention,7Feb.2011.Web.29Oct.2012.

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