well-being.fit

Well-Being.Fit

Nutrition for Quality of Life

Proactive Well-Being for Teens 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS327xMAofQ5GCfUq0yC9hAS7HGN9bxk5j88eJjpMrQ8Ap9Peb0XTvVZlSECGJupqJGjTGrLLjPSRbH/pub

John Wellman  Retired counselor, teacher, and coach at Evergreen High School, Vancouver WA

Nutrition Choices Can Enhance Healthspan, Lifespan, and the Environment

  • US students receive less than 8 hours of required nutrition education each school year,  far below the 40–50 hours that are needed to affect behavior change. 
  • High school students in Washington state must learn about six specific areas of nutrition by meeting eight different learning standards within a 90 hour general health class (along with other topics).
  • High schools are not alone in minimizing time for nutrition education. Most medical students receive less than 20 hours of nutrition education over four years of medical school.
  • 85% of current health care spending ($4.5 trillion in 2022) is related to management of diet-related chronic diseases.
  • The annual number of potentially preventable* deaths in Washington totaled 1,725 (deaths caused by heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and stroke).

 *(potentially preventable deaths are calculated from comparing a given state’s death rate, by cause and age group, with the average of the lowest three states).

  • Nearly 90% of adults over age 20 in the U.S. have at least one risk factor for heart disease.
  • Obesity, strongly linked to poor diet, is estimated to contribute to 300,000 US deaths per year. 
  • A suboptimal diet is associated with over 80,000 new cancer cases annually in the US.
  • Most Behaviors Preceding Major Causes of Preventable Death (i.e. obesity) Have Begun By Young Adulthood.
  • Approximately 32 percent of grade 12 youth in ESD 112, and in USA, are overweight or obese.
  • The Healthy Youth Survey responses in ESD 112 show that 79% of freshmen and 82% of seniors ate less than 5 fruits and vegetables per day as recommended for optimum health.
  • Less than 25% of 10th graders in Clark County are physically active for at least 60 minutes daily.
  • 54% of adults aged 18─34 years have at least one chronic condition, 22% have more than one
  • Obesity more likely caused by high calorie diet than lack of exercise.
  • Senior regrets: 2 of 3 older adults now wish they cared more about their health sooner

Nutrition and the Environment

  • Climate change is the single biggest threat to human health on the planet, according to the World Health Organization.
  • The bulk of scientific evidence links diets with human health and environmental sustainability.
  • Replacing animal agriculture and shifting to a plant-based diet could drastically curb greenhouse gas emissions by 52 percent of the net emission reductions necessary to limit global warming by 2⁰ C.
  • Agricultural production and using livestock as food contribute to animal-borne, food-borne, and other diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
  • How big meat and dairy industries avoid action to reduce climate effects.
  • The ‘tobacco company tactics’ used by the meat industry to misrepresent its role in the climate crisis.

Student Engagement: Take responsibility for your own well-being by being mindful and proactive about food choices.

Adapt with high interest / engaging activities:

  • National Health Education Standards, (9-12)
  • Become a “Fact Checker” for health claims and assess the strength of evidence for claims
  • Fact-Checking and evaluation of scientific evidence
  • Innovative ways to learn about balanced meals using MyPlate
  • Use social media to promote healthy nutrition. Tips for using Instagram 
  • 13 Nutrition Challenges for you

Build competence and self efficacy by addressing your skills

  • Use a food tracking app for 7 days to reveal nutrition deficiencies. Macros: Mynetdiary
  • What are the likely acute and/or chronic conditions resulting from nutrient deficiencies?
  • Health Consequences of sub-optimal consumption of specific food groups
  • How to chose the best nutrition app for you
  • Check My Habits re food, exercise, environment
  • HALT emotional eating before meals. Ask yourself “Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired?”
  • Rate self from 1 (least) to 10 (most) on factors that influence personal nutrition choices.
  • Examine openness to changing your food choices for health, environment or ethical reasons.
  • What values questions re food are of most concern to you?
  • With age progression app, set your healthspan / lifespan goals.
  • Follow Dr. Gregor’s Daily Dozen for 1 or more days and list the pros and cons.
  • Create meals plan for one day using strategies for eating well on a budget, including costs.
  • Prepare a meal using cooking basics and Kid Approved healthy recipes or Recetas Saludables.
  • Recipes for Easy Meal Ideas: Search by 10 filters, including World Cuisine
  • 70+ trusted Washington recipes complete with ratings, reviews and cooking tips
  • African, Indigenous, Latin, Micronesian, and Special Diets recipes.  Others: search Google.
  • Serve food representing diverse multicultural perspectives. 
  • Employ strategies for creating a more just and sustainable food system, including considerations when working with individuals with visible or invisible disabilities.
  •  Healthcare Equity Toolkit (UW) Healthcare Equity Toolkit | Care Transformation – University of Washington “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.” -– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Which junk food marketing strategies have persuaded you to buy unhealthy food (specify)
  • Name your past  food sources of potential increased cancer risk (if any).
  • 5 Healthy tips for sustainable eating
  • 7 Kitchen Staples for Teen-Friendly Meals
  • Use OptUP Food Health Score to compare grocery store foods by nutritional value
  • Collaborate with others to advocate for healthy eating in home, school or community.
  • Interactive and Real-Time Engagement via social media
  • Educate and mentor underserved students to lead healthy lives personally, in their school community, and beyond.
  • Visit / volunteer at a hospital or senior care center to observe effects of prior poor nutrition.
  • Find SNAP participation rate in your county. Learn supply/demand ratio at a local food bank.
  • Washington state braces for SNAP cuts. How will this affect our community?
  • Set up a food share program for school / community benefit
  • Impact of Produce Prescriptions on Diet, Food Security, and Cardiometabolic Health
  • Start a vegetable garden at home / indoors
  • Start / participate in a school vegetable garden
  • Celebrate with a potluck meal prepared by students!
  • “He drew a circle that shut me out — Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in!” – Edwin Markham

Nutrition Goals

  1. Increase evidence-based knowledge of the impact of food on health and the environment.
  2. Change personal food diet to promote health and environment (explain impacts).
  3. Build a Healthy Eating Routine.
  4. Set personal nutrition SMART goals with specific behavior plans and rewards.
  5. Examine barriers to achieving personal nutrition goals and how to overcome them. 
  6. Engage in advocacy and mutual support for healthy nutrition for classrooms, diverse groups and sports teams.

Evidence-based Health Information Sources 

“Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” – Will Rogers

  • Body image / weight reduction
  • Weight Loss: Common Barriers and Effective Motivators
  • Healthy metabolism: Gain control of emotional eating.
  • Calorie Counting Apps Help With Weight Loss, Even if You Barely Use Them.
  • Muscle growth
  • Eating Disorders Screening Tool
  • Healthspan / lifespan 
  • Economics of unhealthy food in America
  • Aggressive marketing and advertising of unhealthy foods can influence consumer choices.
  • Healthy (plants and fibers) vs unhealthy low-carb or low-fat versions of diets
  • Growing Strong: Non-Dairy Solutions for Children’s Essential Nutrients

Evaluation of scientific evidence 

Sources of valid health / nutrition information

Addendum:    Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum

Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT)

Note: This information is not intended as medical advice. Do not rely on this or any linked information without doing your own independent research and/or consulting with a healthcare professional. Copyright 2025

Potential Conflicts of Interest: Author has no financial, political or religious position re information herein.

References (to be listed at www.being-well.fit)