Nutrition And Childhood Education
Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:58:59 +0000
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Study Finds, When Combined With Nutrition Education, Healthier Foods Are Accepted By Elementary School Children In Florida
The Agatston Research Foundation's Healthier Options for Public Schoolchildren (HOPS) Study found that the 4,000 elementary school children enrolled in the Osceola School District (OSD) accepted the healthier options made available in school breakfasts and lunches, when healthier offerings were made in combination with creative nutrition education. The total fat and saturated fat were reduced in the meals served while the amount of total dietary fiber was increased, for both breakfasts and lunches served in the school cafeterias.
"Our purpose, was to introduce students to healthier food choices through the schools' existing food distribution systems, and to find mechanisms for the school districts to serve healthier foods within their budget constraints," says preventive cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD founder of the Agatston Research Foundation and a principal investigator for the HOPS Study. "I'm encouraged by our experience so far, and the students' acceptance of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as their involvement in the school gardens. They worked hard, planting, watering and maintaining the gardens, and finally eating what they grew. This also stimulated their learning about the nutrition in the foods HOPS introduced each month. I'm optimistic that this approach is something that may be replicated at other schools," says Agatston.
The HOPS pilot study that tests the feasibility of how holistic nutrition and healthy lifestyle management programs might work in the elementary school setting, began in a set of six schools in the Osceola School District in the fall of 2004. Of the six schools, in the Osceola School District (OSD), four were intervention schools where the HOPS programmatic and dietary interventions were implemented, and two participated as control schools, meaning they continued with typical education and district dietary offerings. All six schools participated in twice-yearly data collection, including height and weight, which were used to calculate age and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) measurements, and many other parameters that will ultimately document the impact of healthier eating.
HOPS tests the feasibility of including nutritious ingredients and whole foods, acquired through existing public school food distribution systems, for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks in the elementary school setting. "This is the critical part of this feasibility study: bringing higher fiber, less added- sugar, nutrient-dense foods - the good for you stuff - into school cafeterias. Making this happen is more of a challenge than you would expect. In some cases you cannot even get whole wheat bread into school cafeterias," says Danielle Hollar, PhD, HOPS principal investigator.
Rather than simply providing healthier food options, HOPS instituted exciting curricula that taught the children, their parents, teachers, and other school staff about nutrition and healthy lifestyle management. This included an emphasis on increasing physical activity.
Additionally, HOPS provided an avenue to create fruit and vegetable gardens in each of the elementary schools, with the goal of teaching children how the nutritious fruits and vegetables that are served in their school cafeterias, their homes, and in restaurants, are grown, cultivated, and harvested.
In 2004, Dr. Agatston founded The Agatston Research Foundation for the purpose of conducting and funding original research on diet, cardiac and disease prevention. His goal is to educate and empower both his patients and the public about healthy lifestyle choices and disease prevention, encouraging the practice of such prevention in America and throughout the world. In creating The Agatston Research Foundation, Dr. Agatston is fulfilling a personal dream as he continues to "change the way America eats." The Agatston Research Foundation is dedicated to improving the heart health and wellness of the nation through research, education and prevention.
Dr. Agatston is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He lectures extensively on prevention both nationally and internationally. He has served on committees of the American Society of Echocardiography, the American College of Cardiology, and the Society of Atherosclerosis Imaging, where he is a founding member of the board of directors. He was recently elected to serve on the board of directors of The American Dietetic Association Foundation. In addition to his work with his wife, Sari, on the South Beach Diet and The Agatston Research Foundation, Dr. Agatston maintains a cardiology practice in Miami Beach, where they reside. The Agatstons have two sons, currently attending college.
Childhood Obesity
- Posted in Brazos Higher Education Loans
15 Responses to “Should children be either vegetarian/ vegan?”
By Maria on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
It’s perfectly healthy for children to grow up vegetarian as long as they receive all of their supplements and are monitored by a doctor. The periodical Vegetarian Times studies this and puts out articles about it frequently. It is up to you to decide what age your child is ready to make this decision. I’d say no earlier than 10 or 12. YOu would have to keep a close eye on what he is eating. There are plenty of children who have always grown up that way and are inperfect health, but I would start out with an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet.
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By Daniel S on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
I don’t think anyone should be Vegan, and that is a very hard diet to follow. You should eat and balance everything even meat, and chicken, and fish. There are plenty of other meats that are healthy for you.
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By FM on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
People only need a correctly balanced diet, so a child can be vegetarian/vegan.
In India generations of people have always been vegetarian (20-40% of the population is vegetarian). In Asia, most people don’t consume much dairy at all. Those two countries alone (China/India) are over 2 billion people, about 1/3 the population of the earth.
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By skcs11 on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
no
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By Heidi on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Why do you think children cannot get nutrients from food excluding meat? I’m not saying they even need to take vitamins. Everything your body needs can be obtained from eating anything but meat, and even dairy and egg products, especially COW’S milk. I personally don’t think it’s healthy to subject young children to all the processed meats of today’s world, and wish I hadn’t been.
I’m not telling anyone to not feed meat to their children, but you asked.
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http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBJulAug00p131.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_11242_raise-vegetarian-children.html
By TR on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Nobody should be a vegetarian or vegan without knowing how to use the proper types of vegetables and supplements to obtain all necessary nutrients.
There is no reason that children in a vegetarian family can’t be raised on the family’s diet–provided the adults are able to ensure proper levels of protein and especially folic acid in the diet.
If your family is not vegetarian/vegan and your kids want to become such, then you might require them to study "Diet for a Small Planet" and similar sources, and test them on their knowledge of combined protein sources (note: more recently, research indicates that it’s not essential to combine protein sources at once, like Diet insisted–but eating all different types of amino acids is still important) and other nutritional necessities.
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By cuervo25_1 on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
i don’t know at what age but do support your child by looking up healthy vegetarian diets and finding exactly wha she wants to rule out. I have a question on here that will help on that with many great answeres. such as do they want to eat only veggies, or veggies and eggs or whatever. then alot of the vegetarians her or othre web sites will be able to provide help in proper diets for vegetarians
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By 'lil peanut on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
A proper vegan or vegetarian diet Has all the nutrients as a meat diet. It is not unhealthy in any way IF IT IS DONE CORRECTLY. You do not need to supplement vitiamns either just eat ALL the right foods and it is fine. You will not lack in protien or any other nutrients. You are not taking anything away and the child will be just as healthy as meat eating counterparts plus probably like vegetable a whole lot more.
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I was a vegetarian while preganant and nursing and I was able to nurse my child one whole year without formula suppliment while my meat eating friends had to suppliment formula one at 3 weeks one at 4 months one right away. I went to a nutrition counceller when I became pg and told her I eat meat of no kind she said " that is fine. you do not need meat to get all the protien just eat nuts, beans, soy, and lots of fruits and veggies and you will get all the nutrition you need"
By barbara on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Yeah-your education needs expanding. A small amount of basic research would have told you that there are no nutrients missing in a balanced vegan or vegetarian diet. All required elements for health can be provided by a plant based diet. Most parents today feed their kids so much junk and processed food-why don’t you ask why they don’t provide proper nutrition?
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By Starfish on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Humans have always been omnivores, let them eat whatever they want, nothing is off the menu, if I’m hungry and it can be eaten, I’ll try it.
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By tinyT on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Baby, just let me give you some food for thought. I was eight months pregnant with my son. All of a sudden every time I ate meat I would vomit. When he was born I breast fed. In the beginning he ate from me just fine. At the age of 6 weeks he started to vomit every time I ate meat. So we had to put him on Soy formula. When he got 1 year old he started eating on his own. Every time he ate meat he vomited. I stopped giving him meat. He did not eat a McDonalds hambergur until the age of 14. He survived off of corn, brocolli, oatmeal, milk & cereal for 14 years. Now you tell me?
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By Cruella D on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
I have been a vegetarian since I was four years old. I have developed fine. I think it is fine to have children be vegetarians but they have to have it be their decision. If a child doesnt understand why he/she is a vegitarian than he/she might not stick to it as they get older. Milk and dairy products are important for children so I would say any child under ten of eleven should be vegan.
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By lorelei.siren on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
As a mother, I am going to say NO. It is not right to force your diet and opinions on a child.
I’m very open-minded when it comes to my children. I don’t force them to eat things that they don’t want to but, I do educate them on why it is important to eat certain foods. They are still young but, surprisingly they DO make the right choices.
The same applies for all life-styles whether it be religion, sexuality, spirituality, etc. They ask and I answer as non-biased as I can and I explain some people believe in certain things, while others don’t. And it is their choice to decide what they want to believe in.
How could you force anything on your kid? That is just not right. Especially when it comes to food. Vegetarians/Vegans believe eating meat is unhealthy. I understand that.
But, some studies prove that a healthy person needs to eat some sort of meat. Why should you be the deciding factor on this?
If I was a vegetarian/vegan I would introduce my child to the lifestyle but, would NOT force them to live it.
If they said "Mom, I only want a salad and/or vegetables tonight for dinner." I would say "Great!" If they said "Mom, I want baked chicken tonight for dinner." I would also say "Great!"
It is a person’s choice to decide what to put in their mouths. As a parent, I DO have to watch them on certain things. Obviously they can’t eat chocolate cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner as that is plainly unhealthy. But, since eating meat or living as a vegetarian is debatable then they can make that decision for themselves.
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By david l on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Only if they choose to. Frankly, I think that people who impose their religious/social beliefs on the young to be child abusers of the worst sort.
As a child i was physically molested by a neighbour, but I am fine about that now. What still scares me is the hellfire and brimstone rants that my grandmother used to go on. People who soil their children’s minds are the grossest of molesters.
Whether it is Jesus, Allah or Gaia, good manners and decency require you keep your faith and let others develop theirs without contamination. If a child chooses to eat vegan, so be it. It might be a challenge to keep them healthy, but they made that choice.
If you choose for the child, then you are a spiritual fascist. Further, you are wasting your time, because they will find their Big Mac at a friend’s house.
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By Call .357 on Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
well, Children need strong bones and body .. I don’t recommend this.. I recommend feeding them lean/non fatty meats. When they get a little older.. have them become vegetarian
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