A child educated only at school
is an uneducated child.
~George Santayana
Feeney, Moravcik, Nolte and Christenson (2010) says that children need to have the support and understanding of teachers to achieve at the best. This is the same for children that are obese. They need to have teachers support and understanding from teachers to help loss weight so they are not obese or to have the teachers help in understanding about food that may cause obesity.
Research reports show that there are more children in a form of early childcare settings in the last five years in New Zealand than in the past (O’Brian and Taylor, 2004). As times changed more people are entering the work force and view it as easier to use packet food instead of fresh food in children’s and their own lunch. Food and drink intake is a direct link to the obesity rate. 5+ a day was introduced the purpose of this is to eat five or more fruits and/or vegetables a day to create a healthier lifestyle for children and adults. It aims to promote awareness of the importance of having five or more fruit and/or vegetables (Ashfield – Watt, 2006). However many families are finding it easier to supply their children with package food and not fresh food.
What I was wondering is do teachers help support families into knowing and understanding what healthy food is and why it important?
Plunket offers advice on what food children should eat depending on their age they have posters that are free to centres and parents.
Some of their posters and pamphlets include:
-Finger food ideas
-Vegetables and fruit for children
- Ways to include vegetables and fruit into children day in a fun way
-Lunch box ideas
-Easy to prepare food
-Making healthy food (Plunket, n.d.).
Many centres have these pamphlets and having this information centres may be able to help families to gain knowledge to provide healthy eating and pack healthy lunches for their children.
There are resources available from SPARC which are available from regional sports trust that provides information about active movement for children under five. They have pamphlets available to show what active movement is and why it is important for children to participate in. Some of the resources on offer are:
- Active movement brochures
- Introduction to active movement brochures
- Active Movement DVDs
- Play Gym – Building blocks for life
- Active movement in water and
- Moving to learn. (SPARK: ihi Aoteroa sport and recreation New Zealand, 2011).
Some centres have a healthy eating policy that helps teachers promote healthy eating. A healthy eating nutrition policy helps teachers to follow guidelines set forth to help with healthy eating. Having a healthy eating policy and centres that is shared with families is important as they are the ones that are packing children’s food and it is important that they understand healthy eating and are provided with information surrounding healthy eating. There are some families out there that do not understand healthy eating or may feel it does not matter what children eat as they are still young.
I believe that with families and teachers working together to provide healthy eating for children is important to help reduce the high number of obese children in New Zealand.
References
Ashfield-Watt, P. AL. (2006). Fruits and vegetables, 5+ a day: are we getting the
message across?, 15(2), 245-252. Retrieved from http://library.eit.ac.nz:2053/pqcentral/docview/213832647/12EFFB4AB1EBCD79CD/4?accountid=39646
O’Brian, B. & Taylor, Dr. R. (2004). The f word: A New Zealand Guide to preventing childhood obesity. Auckland, New Zealand: David Bateman Ltd.
SPARK: ihi Aotearoa sport and recreation New Zealand. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.sparc.org.nz/en-nz/young-people/Ages-0-5-Years/.
Feeney, S., Moravcik, E., Nolte, S., & Christensen, D. (2010). Who am I in the lives of children? An introduction to early childhood education. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
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