Healthy habits and hobbies
Our presentation is on how physical activity and nutrition affects an elementary students behavior in the classroom. We examined the lack of both physical activity and nutrition in a students life and how that affects their behavior when in school. We found that six out of ten students in grades K-8 come to school hungry because they are not getting enough to eat or anything to eat at home. We also found that 1 in 3 elementary aged students are over weight due to a lack of physical activity and eating habits. Both over weight and underweight kids in America may be deemed as malnourished. A lack of proper food intake is known as malnourishment and it does not imply there is a lack of food, but it signifies a lack of nutrients. Malnutrition can result in long term neural issues in the brain which can impact a child’s emotional response, reactions to stress, learning disabilities, and other medical complications. Also, most students rely on food provided by the school during their school day, and if the school only provides lunch, then that is the only meal they are eating most days. The benefits of physical fitness go beyond health and wellness of the body. Besides strengthening the cardiovascular and muscular systems and lowering the risk of many diseases, research suggests that physical activity also positively impacts the brain and improves mood and attention in students. Also, providing daily aerobic activities to children can help to reduce symptoms of ADHD such as moodiness and inattentiveness. Research shows that even short bursts of movement deliver big benefits for brain health and academic performance, relative to sitting quietly and preventing unwanted behaviors.
Our project is important because healthy students perform better. Poor nutrition and inadequate physical activity can affect not only academic achievement, but also other factors such as absenteeism, classroom behavior, ability to concentrate, self-esteem, cognitive performance, and test scores. To support positive outcomes for both health AND learning, it’s important that educators incorporate movement into their classroom routine.
EDUC 330, Child Development
Brian Kaelin
L203, poster #2
10 AM – Noon