Student Perspective: Impact of Human Health’s Experiential Learning Program, Part 2

By: Drayson Campbell

Editor’s Note: This piece is the second of six student essays about their experiences participating in Health 1, 2, 3’s classroom to community 4th level component. See here to learn more about this new program.

The obesity rates in the United States are of epidemic proportions.[1] Almost 2/3 of every American adult is either overweight or obese and over 1/3 of all Americans are obese. Overweight and obese individuals have a severely increased risk for heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and many other conditions that can result in otherwise preventable deaths. These statistics do not cover the full scope of America’s weight problem: minority groups have a disproportionally higher rate of obesity.[2] Most of these problems are strongly associated with behavioral patterns that are well studied.[2] These behavioral patterns are far from unchangeable in adulthood, but it is well-understood that the patterns established in youth strongly follow individuals into their adult life.[3] Therefore, it is critical that health promotion efforts concentrate on youth.

Health must be treated the same as it’s a discipline that is critical to success and personal happiness everywhere.

The single best place for these efforts to occur at a widespread scale is by utilizing the existing system and infrastructure of public schools. However, the actual implementation of health education in public schools is a far more challenging topic. For one, there must be a proper layout to the health curriculum; 1st graders and graduating seniors can’t possibly benefit equally from the same lesson. It’s clear that there is an opportunity for vertical learning to take place across development, reinforcing and building upon the previous year’s lessons. This is already done for language acquisition, mathematics, sciences, and history because excellence in these disciplines provides strong hope for career success. Health must be treated the same as it’s a discipline that is critical to success and personal happiness everywhere.

In the same breath, how could students in rural Georgia need the same specific guidance as those who live in metro Atlanta? Delineating the particulars between these varying environments and age levels is the key to building a strong foundation in health for students across the nation. But even more important than any adjustments to curriculum is the ability for health educators to truly connect with their students to manage the individuality of health. This is critical for the true development of health at any point in life: “healthy” doesn’t look the same for any two people.

Obesity is far from the only problem facing public health officials and school officials, take the mental health crisis for example. These issues are so widespread that action must be taken if we are to protect our citizens’ health in the coming decades. Through my interaction with the 4th level of the Health 1,2,3, program and Graduation Generation (GradGen), I have learned that to address widespread issues is through systematic changes that utilize existing infrastructure to promote health education through our public schools. Although its addition may come at a cost (either money or reduced time spent on other subject areas), it is a necessary component that will improve the lives of countless Americans in the long run.

References:

1. “An Epidemic of Obesity: U.S. Obesity Trends.” The Nutrition Source, 12 Apr. 2016, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/an-epidemic-of-obesity/.

2. Farhat, Tilda, Iannotti, Ronald J, & Simons-Morton, Bruce. “Overweight, Obesity, Youth, and Health-Risk Behaviors.” American Journal ofPreventive Medicine, vol. 38, no. 3, 2010, pp. 258—267., doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.10.038.3

3. “Health Education in Schools -The Importance of Establishing Healthy Behaviors in Our Nation’s Youth.” American Heart Association, www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_308679.pdf.