Healthier Diets… Starting with the Juice Box

Over 65 percent of adults over the age of 20 years are either overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. Registered dietitian Jackie Browning, with the Bon Secours Weight Loss Institute, is taking steps to help reverse this statistic – by teaching healthy habits to children.

Browning, along with other Bon Secours registered dietitians, visits a classroom of second-graders every two weeks at Christ the King Catholic School in Norfolk. The registered dietitians are part of Bon Secours’ education program to help kids learn about healthy diet and exercise.

“Each week we tell a story about Heart-E-Heart, a character who explains the importance of eating healthy and exercising,” Browning said. “We keep it interactive, so the kids are excited about learning about being healthy.”

According to the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, obesity is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. On a daily basis, Browning works with surgical weight loss patients who are changing their lifestyle to avoid these conditions. Second-grade teacher Monica Lewis, whose classroom participates in the program, believes that starting health education early will make a difference.

“In second grade, students are just beginning to understand the importance of making good choices and the consequences of negative decisions,” said Lewis. “If they start healthy habits at this age, it will stick with them throughout their life.”

According to Lewis, students are applying lessons at home. Parents encourage the children to continue to monitor their daily exercise and the foods they eat.