Speak Out: Every Child Deserves to be Healthy
Here at NEA HIN, we believe that every child deserves to be healthy – don’t you? It is something that everyone can agree on. And schools are a great place to teach children healthy habits since they are there to learn and grow.
Did you know that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years? In fact, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2012 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What can be done? Studies show that physical activity not only aids in weight-management, it also supports academic achievement, and well-nourished kids learn better.
Launched by Action for Healthy Kids in 2013, Every Kid Healthy Week™ highlights the need to support our kids through healthy endeavors. Every year, schools, students, parents, and community members come together to recognize their school’s wellness achievements through fun and interactive health-promoting events. More than 1,000 schools are participating from April 19-25, 2015!
Our friends at Action for Healthy Kids have some great tips for healthy events at schools:
- Host a family fitness night
- Organize a health and wellness fair
- Refurbish your playground or cafeteria
- Gather the community for a fun run
- Plant a school garden
- Ask a local yoga or Zumba instructor to teach a class at school
- Serve fruits, veggies, and whole grains at a taste test
You can find more resources and tips on the Action for Healthy Kids website. Speak out and do your part to help make sure every kid is healthy!
Posted by Allie Lawrence
on April 20, 2015