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Hettie Halstead Elementary reduces obesity rate through healthy lifestyle curriculum

Posted at 5:11 PM, Mar 25, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-30 20:41:13-04

Teachers at the Hettie Halstead Elementary Middle School stepped up to ensure their kids remain healthy.

The CDC reported, 1 in 5 children in the U.S. are obese.

In Texas, Hispanic and African American children have nearly twice the rate of obesity compared to non-Hispanic white children according to the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living.

Hettie Halstead Elementary is adding nutrition to its curriculum to get kids involved and educated on healthy food choices in a fun way.

Malakay Drayton, a student at Hettie Halstead Elementary School said, “The thing about it is there’s so many foods to choose from and categories you can add.”

Physical Education teacher, Lance Garner is playing a big part in the students' love for eating healthy, he is also teaching them the importance of staying active.

He said, “Well if you start teaching kids when they’re younger they are more likely to stick with it.”

Teachers at the school had kids partake in a hands-on project. They made their own food pyramids and were able to learn how to eat a healthy balanced meal with that activity.

The more we teach our kids, the more they will know and nutritional experts say being healthy from a young age can reduce the chances of kids getting sick now or in the future. In addition to this, PE coach Garner said, keeping kids healthy helps them with their overall mental health.