Physical education has been a peculiar staple in American education for over a century. In my idealistic mindset, I feel that most people would agree that it is important that kids of all ages learn the best ways to stay active. Being able to run around and play with friends can work wonders for kids who experience restlessness in a structured school environment. As kids grow older and become more independent, P.E. may seem like a nuisance: running around and playing games doesn't jive with their personality or self-esteem. As a result, P.E. is not taken seriously enough, which reflects from the level of the high school student skipping P.E. all the way to the level of school boards, comprised of individuals who likely do not have expertise in wellness, allocating insufficient funds towards the P.E. curriculum. The big problem with this trend is that we, as Americans, are getting---big. Obesity and the slew of associated chronic diseases are the match to the healthcare system candle. If we let these diseases run amuck, they burn our candle to the base. Healthcare costs rampage. Deaths ensue. Can we do something at a large scale that will better steer our children towards the path of overall health?
With childhood and adult obesity rates rising to 18.5% and 39.8% respectively², I believe the physical education curriculum is in need of a complete overhaul---one that doesn't require an under-8 minute mile. Can American schools implement a rigorous hands-on nutrition program into their education curriculum? Hmmm. Sounds nice. If you graduated high school, you probably took Health (or some class independent from regular P.E), and you also likely remember learning some standard nutritional guidelines in that class. Maybe a day or a week was spent on learning the subject. With that, you were imparted with all of the nutritional knowledge you needed in life--from snacks, meals, drinks and desserts.
I propose that we restructure secondary physical education in a way that is going to cost money. Eeek! Not only will it cost money---it will take a fraction of whatever little time students already have in the gym and use it towards kitchen time. If we want to make our nation healthier, we will have to do so by showing our young how to cook healthy foods. According to health.gov, "about half of all American adults—117 million individuals—have one or more preventable chronic diseases, many of which are related to poor quality eating patterns and physical inactivity.¹" The threat of chronic disease should be enough to incentivize federal and state governments to offer significant grants towards nutritionist and chef-led instruction at the secondary level. Mandatory instruction.
Cooking instruction can start off in familiar territory--with a twist. To begin, nutritionists and chefs can work with students to elucidate how much they should expect to pay for a well-balanced week's worth of food at a grocery store. Lesson plans should include how to effectively spice and cook standard meals, so they taste good enough to compete with our desire to eat out somewhere. What healthy foods can students make quickly? What can they make in a slow cooker, in a pan, or in an oven? What does eating organic and gluten-free foods actually mean? The usual conversations about calories and dietary proportions simply do not suffice anymore.
Many high school students learn to drive and a solid amount will see the insides of dining halls in just a few years. Educators can enhance the students' abilities to decipher what prepared foods are healthier than others by having them live the experience of cooking meals beforehand. The key is that this instruction should be a component of physical education because its inclusion will make cooking and nutrition education a mandatory and consistent part of a child's growth. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see this change? At 13 years old, students can understand the basics of the different types of meat, and the same students four years later are discussing their preference for using a dutch oven versus a cast iron skillet to cook a chicken dish. Additionally, having P.E. and nutrition/cooking education work in tandem throughout a full secondary education will reinforce that living a healthy life requires exercising and eating well.
People may scoff at this proposal when all the costs are lined up and the administrative battles are being fought, but we cannot attempt to speak this important topic into existence anymore. An educational transformation like this can save lives and reduce healthcare costs for generations. A more nutrition-minded population will force businesses and restaurants to make healthier foods---not in form of extra menu options but in the overall preparation of everything on the menu. Can we spare some days of dodgeball, track, and basketball to make way for a learning experience that will advance students with skills they can build a happy and healthy life with? I'm sure we can.
Sources
¹“Nutrition and Health Are Closely Related.” Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020, health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/introduction/nutrition-and-health-are-closely-related/.
²“Overweight & Obesity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Aug. 2017, www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html.
Ezra Guttmann is a medical student at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. Views in the blog are representative of his, only. There is no medical advice on this website.
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