Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Nutrition and health education programs remain the leading strategy to address bleak health statistics. Johnson County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent piloted a program at Highlands Elementary that reached students with information about nutrition and physical activity. The nine-day effort reached 483 students, plus the faculty, staff, and leadership. Before the program, 10% of the student body could name all categories of the food pyramid, none could name the basic nutrients, and fewer than 2% knew how many calories they needed. The post-evaluation revealed that 44% knew how many calories they needed; 67% could list the food groups; 25% knew the basic nutrients; 66% reported eating more fruits and vegetables; 57% began eating more whole grain foods; and 40% began eating foods lower in fat.

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