PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR ECE

There are many ways teachers can support children and families when it comes to eating healthy and being physically active. The Ministry of Education have guide lines which help early childhood education services and schools develop healthy eating habits along with educating children about being healthy and physically active (Ministry of Education, n.d).

Early childhood education services can create policies which support healthy eating and physical exercise.  It can include things such as discouraging energy dense foods with little nutritional value for those centres that have their children bring lunch boxes to school. The centres that provide lunches can make them high in nutritional value and follow the Ministry of Health’s Food and Beverage Classification System.   This system is a good guide for healthy eating.

Ministry of Education (as cited in Ministry of Education, n.d) state that:

there is considerable evidence linking children’s nutrition to educational outcomes. If children are malnourished, have nutritional deficiencies, or are obese, then their learning is likely to be affected. Numerous studies in New Zealand and overseas have demonstrated a link between nutrition and learning, and shown the beneficial effects of restoring nutrition to appropriate levels ... (p. 1).

Good nutrition can have positive effects on children’s behaviour.

The early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki can also be used by teachers, it talks about providing environments where the children’s health is promoted (Ministry of Education, 1996).  Teachers can promote healthy eating and physical activity on a daily basis by encouraging children to participate with things such as planting vegetables, preparing morning tea, using the fresh fruit and vegetables around the centre for lunches and cooking.  Teachers can also encourage the parents to get involved with these experiences.  It is important to promote healthy eating and physical activity to the children’s parents and community because they have a big influence on how children make choices.

References

Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Food and nutrition for healthy, confident kids. Retrieved from http://healthylifestyles.tki.org.nz/National-nutrition-resource-list/Food-and-nutrition-for-healthy-confident-kids

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātaurana mā ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

INITIATIVES

Currently there are different initiatives in place to help with the prevention and control of obesity some of these include:

The Healthy Heart Award programme which is aimed at early childhood education and primary schools.  It is a programme that is designed to educate teachers, children and parents about making healthy eating choices and incorporating physical activity into their daily lives (“The Healthy Heart Award for Early Childhood Education,” 2013).

Project Energizer is funded by the Waikato District Health Board, it is a programme aimed at primary and intermediate children living in the Waikato district area. It has a focus on implementing a variety of daily physical activity in schools and encouraging healthy eating.  See here for a detailed description of the programme (“Project Energize,” n.d.). 

Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition, led some research that indicated an improvement in overall health and fitness levels in children who were active participants of the Project Energizer programme, see here for results. (“Success of Project Energize Confirmed,” 2011).  Graeme (as cited in “Success of Project Energize Confirmed,” 2011) agrees “we need to continue our research to confirm Project Energize is actually making a difference long-term but certainly these results are heartening,” he said. “The improved fitness of the children on Project Energize provides real evidence that the programme is having a significant impact” (p. 1).  These kinds of programmes are necessary as a prevention of obesity of children and onto adulthood.

References

Project energize. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.waikatodhb.govt.nz/events/pageid/2145872029/Project_Energize

Success of Project Energize confirmed. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aut.ac.nz/news/aut-news/2011/july/success-of-project-energize-confirmed

The healthy heart award for early childhood education. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/programmes-resources/schools-and-eces/healthy-heart-award

HEALTH RISKS – THE EFFECT OBESITY HAS ON PEOPLE’S LIVES.

As mentioned earlier, I have found that obesity can have an effect on people’s health.  Children who are obese can suffer both physical and psychological health risks.   The physical effects can include:

• ·         trouble breathing, especially during sleep
• ·         diabetes
• ·         liver disease
• ·         high blood pressure and conditions contributed to heart disease
• ·         menstrual problems
• ·         bones, joints and muscle problems (“Stop our Children Developing Type 2 Diabetes,” n.d).

Obese children can also have psychological and psychiatric problems, they may experience social stigma where they are isolated, devalued and bullied by others.  This can have an effect on the development of social skills and relationships that children are attempting to build (“Stop our Children Developing Type 2 Diabetes,” n.d).

  commentarista.com

The health risks for obese adults can include diseases and conditions which can decrease quality of life and in the end death for some.  Psychological and social well-being is also at risk for adults. Generally, society believes that obese people are un-motivated lazy individuals who are weak and lack any kind of discipline (“Pyschological Effects of Obesity,” 2013)  Because of this view many job opportunities for obese people have been declined.  The employer may think that because the potential employee is obese, then he or she may not have the motivation and energy needed for the job. 

  thelermanreport.com

 

Many obese people become recluse, avoiding going out in public because of the ridicule they may get.  Even a small thing such as a disapproving sideways glance from someone can have a negative effect on someone who is obese.  Other reasons they may avoid public environments could be because they could find things such as fitting into a seat at the movies difficult.     

In time, these types of repeated experiences can bring on depression, anxiety and low self-esteem (“Pyschological Effects of Obesity,” 2013).

References

Psychological effects of obesity. (2013). Retrieved from http://thinforlife.med.nyu.edu/surgical-weight-loss/obesity/psychological-effects-obesity

Stop our children developing type 2 diabetes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://foe.org.nz/obesity-the-facts/health-risks/