| | | | | | | The "My Pyramid" scheme for helping people stay healthy combines good eating habits with regular exercise. |
| | | This 2-page publication provides useful hints on making smart choices concerning food and exercise. It is aimed at adults. There is an accompanying piece aimed at youth. |
| | | This publication provides a worksheet to help you have a healthier lifestyle. |
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We encounter choices that affect our health all day long. Take the steps or the elevator? What to have for lunch? Watch television or go for a walk? LSU AgCenter nutrition educators are empowering people to make smart choices. They’re doing this through a community nutrition education program aimed at a variety of audiences called Smart Choices.
To help promote the Smart Choices program, the LSU AgCenter's chancellor, Bill Richardson, has started a daily (Monday through Friday) blog in which he tells of the struggles he is having changing to a healthier lifestyle. His entry is followed by a nutritionist response in which one of the AgCenter nutritionists tells what he is doing right and wrong, providing sound advice on how to eat right and exercise more. Read the Chancellor's Challenge.
Community Nutrition Education
The AgCenter has a long history of nutrition outreach. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), aimed at low-income families and youth and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been around for more than 30 years ago.
“EFNEP follows the objectives of many of the LSU AgCenter’s nutrition programs of teaching clients how to eat better for less money,” said LSU AgCenter nutritionist, Heli Roy.
The Family Nutrition Program (FNP) is similar to EFNEP in that it targets low-income families, specifically recipients of food stamps or those that are eligible for food stamps.
Both programs are taught by a cadre of nutrition educators, who are para-professionals trained by LSU AgCenter faculty. In a multitude of ways, these educators present a series of lessons to clients. The lessons contain information on choosing healthy options for meals and snacks, shopping behavior and food resource management, food security or ensuring households have enough food and food safety tips.
“We can do a three-hour workshop for a large group or a 15-minute session for an individual,” said Annrose Guarino, an LSU AgCenter nutritionist. “We try to meet any schedule.”
Smart Choices and the LSU AgCenter’s nutrition education programs have changed. Traditionally, the programs targeted women. Now there is an increased emphasis on recruiting men to participate in the sessions.
“There are a lot of men who are single dads, and we want to get them this information too so they can make healthy choices for themselves and their children,” Roy said.
Food News
News headlines often influence session topics. The recent outbreak of E. coli in spinach spurred requests for food safety sessions. News of athlete exhaustion because of over-exertion and dehydration prompted requests from schools for sessions on proper hydration. The sessions presented by nutrition educators also may be seasonal.
“Every January, we see an increased interest in information related to weight loss,” Roy said. “In the spring, people are interested in seafood safety,” Guarino added. “In August, we talk about packing a safe school lunch, and we get turkey questions around the holidays.”
Targeting Youth
LSU AgCenter nutritionists have developed a curriculum for fifth to eight graders. It is a series of nine lessons based on grade level expectations. There are several opportunities to get Smart Choices information to youngsters. 4-H Agents can use it in their 4-H programs and extension agents can deliver the information to youngsters in after and before school care. It also can be used in enrichment programs in the classroom. The curriculum is designed to help with standardized tests.
Nutrition Educators
The LSU AgCenter employs paraprofessionals or nutrition educators to work with groups and individuals. The educators are placed in areas of greatest need with a high concentration in urban and high poverty areas. Also, they are recruited from the community in which they serve. The educators must pass the EatSmart online certification program to become certified nutrition educators.
“We have become so successful with our training and certification that other organizations want our nutrition educators,” Guarino said. “Other states use our curriculum, and we are proud that they consider it valid and reliable.”
Nutrition educators recruit and target certain groups and individuals for their nutrition programs.
“They may target head-start families, families that live in low-income housing or individuals that live within a certain zip code that is designated as a high poverty area,” Guarino said.
Also they get requests from groups such as PTA organizations and church groups looking for specific information. Individuals may request nutrition information as well.
“Sometimes a family with a history of heart disease may want information on heart healthy nutrition,” Gaurino said.
Nutrition Education Sessions
Those who participate in the LSU AgCenter’s nutrition programs will get more than a lecture on healthy food. Many of the sessions are hands-on. Nutrition educators often will prepare food or do food safety demonstrations. Also, tasting may be a part of a session.
“The new dietary guidelines that came out in 2005 emphasize whole grains, so we let them taste whole-grain bread to get them acquainted with healthy foods,” Roy said.
Exercise is an important component of nutrition education. The new My Pyramid, which replaced the food guide pyramid, has an increased emphasis on exercise with an image built into the pyramid.
“People are too sedentary,” Roy said. “We are hoping that image of the figure going up the stairs will encourage exercise.”
Clients also receive shopping tips, free recipes and hand-outs to take home for easy reference. Some session topics include thrifty choices, eating on the go, fruits and vegetables, dairy and calcium, protein choices, healthy pregnancy, feeding young children and fix it fast.
Nutrition Education Impact
With nutrition educators in targeted areas of the state, and family and consumer sciences agents and 4-H agents in every parish of the state, the LSU AgCenter is well-equipped to bring nutrition education to groups, families and youth.
“We do mass media and try to touch the majority of our clientele,” explained Guarino. “We have reached more than 100 schools through our Smart Bodies program, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“We do make a difference in the individuals that we see in the programs,” Roy added. “They do experience weight loss, improved well-being and lower health care costs.”
Guarino estimates that every dollar put into nutrition education can lower health care costs by $2 to $3. This translates into savings for the individual, the family and the taxpayer.
Nutrition education also can build confidence in participants. Many parishes have graduation ceremonies for clients that participate in multi-part programs such as EFNEP and FNP. These clients receive certificates after completing their education programs.
“Some of our clients do not have high school diplomas. They have no higher education. This is the only certificate they have ever received, so it can be very emotional for them,” Roy said.
Through nutrition education, the LSU AgCenter is working to improve more than just the individual.
“It is about a healthy environment,” said Guarino. “Does a community have walking trails? Are healthy lunches available to youngsters year round? What can we do about vending machines in schools?”
Groups and individuals can request nutrition education by contacting their local LSU AgCenter extension office.
“When you are ready to make a change, we are there to deliver the information,” Roy said.
Writer: Tobie Blanchard
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.
(This AgCenter Lead was updated on Oct. 16, 2007, by Linda Benedict.) |