Healthy Eating and Exercise

Gr 7 Up—This program, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) website, ChooseMyPlate.gov, provides dietary guidelines and a new graphic representation of the five food groups to create an excellent unit for health classes. The statistics are powerful. Obesity affects 17 percent of people today—triple the rate since 1980. The increase in restaurant portion sizes is noted. The film offers a specific example of a teenage boy's eating habits throughout the day, calculating the calories he consumes vs. the calories he burns. It will be eye-opening for students to realize that a McDonald's lunch can contain half of the total calories a teenager should consume in an entire day. The advice on how to eat fewer calories at fast food restaurants (order the small fries and chicken sandwich or a regular hamburger, drink water) is helpful. Teens are advised to eat more fruits and veggies, cut down on salt and sugar, drink more water, and exercise daily. This persuasive film features visually pleasing graphics and beautiful shots of fruits of vegetables that might inspire viewers to turn off the TV and hit the salad bar.—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College Queens, NY