Let’s Move: Paraprofessionals and Their Role in the First Lady’s Initiative

National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals Conference

May 2011

Lisa SharmaNEA Health Information Network

Our Mission

Improve the health and safety of the school community by developing and disseminating information and programs that educate and empower school professionals and positively impact the lives of students.

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How HIN Achieves its Mission• Training at conferences• Organizing for change• Creating publications that answer

questions• Providing online courses• Responding to members

What We Will Cover• Overview of the obesity problem• Lets Move! overview• Action Steps to Success: Schools• What can YOU do?

We will have fun!

That’s Me!

Why is this issue important? • Obesity among adults and children is at epidemic

proportions • Steady increase in rates of overweight and obesity

over the last three decades• Overweight and obese children are likely to become

obese adults• Obesity is one of the leading causes for mortality

and linked to other serious illnesses

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US Obesity Rates1995-2009

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Source : CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Childhood Obesity: Trends• More than one-third of American children under

age 19 are overweight or obese• Highest rates are black teenage girls and Hispanic

youth

• Obese children have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, psychosocial problems, and other ailments

• Obese children more likely to become obese adults

• Overweight and obese children do not do as well academically

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Overweight and Obesity (Age 10-17) 2003

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Survey of Children's Health 2003. Retrieved 12/01/2009 from http://mchb.hrsa.gov/overweight/state.htm.  10

Overweight and Obesity (age 10-17)2005

Source: The National Survey of Children's Health. Childhood Obesity Action Network. State Obesity Profiles, 2008. http://www.nschdata.org:80/Content/ObesityReportCards.aspx. 11

Overweight and Obesity (age 10-17)2007

Source: Childhood Obesity Action Network. State Obesity Profiles, 2009. http://wwww.nschdata.org/content/07obesityreportcards.aspx. 12

Obesity and Overweight: Causes

Let’s Move

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oBeuSCfGeg&feature=channel

Federal response: Let’s Move!• The Let’s Move! campaign, started by First Lady

Michelle Obama, has a national goal of ending childhood obesity within a generation.

• Let’s Move! has four pillars:– Empowering parents and caregivers – Providing healthy food in schools – Improving access to healthy, affordable foods– Increasing physical activity

• For more information visit www.letsmove.gov

Let’s Move! 5 Steps to Success: Schools

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools1. Create a School Health Advisory Council

– Advisory group that assesses the school health environment and programs and policies in place and identify ways to strengthen

– Formed at the district or school level, usually 10-20 members of school staff, community members, family members and students

Alliance for a Healthier Generation School Wellness Council Toolkit: http://www.healthiergeneration.org/uploadedFiles/For_Schools/Helpful_Tools/08Toolkit_SWC.pdf

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools1. Create a SHAC: Activity Ideas

– Use CDC School Health Index to assess your school’s environment and take action steps: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHI/

– Create healthy food policies for vending, fundraising and birthdays

– Conduct a “walkability assessment” to promote Safe Routes to School

Alliance for a Healthier Generation School Wellness Council Toolkit: http://www.healthiergeneration.org/uploadedFiles/For_Schools/Helpful_Tools/08Toolkit_SWC.pdf

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools1. Create a SHAC: Activity Ideas: Promote Safe

Routes to School– Decline in walking/biking to school

• 1969: 42% of all students, 87% who live < 1 mile of school• 2001: 16% of all students, 63% who live < 1 mile of school

– Safe Routes to School (SRTS)• Increase physical activity, improve unsafe walking/biking

conditions, may improve air quality• Four “E’s” : Education, Encouragement, Enforcement,

Engineering

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools2. Join the Healthier US Schools Challenge

– Recognition for schools that create healthier school environments

– Establishes rigorous standards for schools’:• food quality • meal program participation• physical activity & physical education• nutrition education

– To join: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.html

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools3. Make Your School A Healthy Worksite

– Role modeling for students: be more active and try to eat healthier foods and beverages, especially at school

– Identify nutrition and physical activity interests and needs of school employees

– Create a school employee wellness program• Lead by example!

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools3. Make Your School A Healthy Worksite: School

Employee Wellness Programs• Decreased absenteeism• Lower health care costs• Lower insurance costs• Fewer work-related injuries • Fewer worker compensation

claims• Fewer disability claims• Increased productivity

• Increased employee morale • Increased employee retention • Attractiveness to new

employees • Positive community image• Increased healthy behaviors• Healthy role models

http://www.schoolempwell.org

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools4. Incorporate Nutrition and Physical Education

into the Curriculum– Incorporate physical activity and healthy eating

concepts into the school day and curriculum– Activity ideas:

• Food group alphabet cards• Bingo• Classroom-based movement

– Geography Lesson – African dance video

http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/upload/PA-During-School-Day.pdf

• Quality Physical Education • Active recess• Walking or biking to school• Before/after school physical

activity

Let’s Move Steps to Success: Schools5. Plant a School Garden

– Partner with local business, parents, community groups (e.g. Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners) for assistance• Search online for “school garden grants”• Hold a community build day

– Incorporate gardening into classroom lessons, food service taste tests, physical education activities

Southeast San Diego, CA

Detroit, MI

What can YOU do? • What we eat and how much we are active

impacts how we feel• Be more physically active

– 30 min moderate physical activity, 5+ days/week– 20 min vigorous physical activity, 3+ days/week

• Eat a healthy diet– Eat a RAINBOW of fruits and vegetables, whole

grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy

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MAKING HEALTHIER CHOICES QUIZ

Which is the better option?

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Eggs and bacon or French Toast Sticks

Which is the better option?

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Arby’s Roast Beef Melt or Arby’s Turkey and Swiss

Which is the better option?

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Pizza Hut Thin & Crispy OR Pizza Hut’s Thin and Crispy Cheese Pizza Ham & Pineapple pizza

Additional Resources • Let’s Move

– http://www.letsmove.gov

• Action for Healthy Kids– http://www.actionforhealthykids.org– http://www.studentstakingcharge.org

• Alliance for a Healthier Generation– http://www.healthiergeneration.org/

Additional Resources • Instant Recess / Lift Off!

– http://www.toniyancey.com/IR_CDDVD.html

• Safe Routes to School National Partnership– http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/

• RWJF Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity– http://www.reversechildhoodobesity.org/

• Fuel Up to Play 60– http://www.fueluptoplay60.com/

Additional Resources• National Association for Sport and Physical Education

(NASPE)– http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/

• NASPE Key Points of Quality PE– http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/

teachingTools/key-points-of-QPE.cfm • NASPE Resources for Integrating P-Act into the

School Day– http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/

teachingTools/upload/PA-During-School-Day.pdf

Questions?Lisa Sharma202-822-7328lsharma@nea.org

NEA Health Information Network1201 16th St., NW Suite 216 Washington, DC 20036www.neahin.org

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