NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDES RESULTS IN MARATHON COUNTY

Marathon County nutrition education staff conducted the school nutrition program called “Food, Fun and Fitness” in kindergarten, second and fourth grades at six low-income schools in the Wausau School District. Approximately 780 youth in forty-four classrooms participated in multi-session lessons on nutrition, food identification, simple snack preparation, and physical activity. As part of the program, Marathon County educators taught 267 second graders and 261 kindergarten students about proper hand washing. The learners were taught in a fun, interactive way featuring “BAC”, a large germ puppet, and glo-germ powder. Before the lesson, 57% of 267 second graders knew the correct way to wash their hands. After the lesson, 91% of 263 second graders were able to describe proper hand washing. In another lesson, educators taught 239 fourth graders about making healthful choices at a fast food restaurant. The students worked in small groups to determine healthy choices from various restaurant menus. Before the lesson, 50% of 239 learners were able to choose a healthful lunch from a list of fast food choices. After the lesson, 90% of the learners were able to do so.

For the past eleven summers, Marathon County nutrition educators have taught the summer school class, the “Magic Bean.” This six- week course took place at Jones Elementary, the lowest-income, most diverse school in the county. The focus of the program was nutrition and food preparation, fitness, and gardening. Forty youth (ages 8–12) participated in a series of 23 nutrition education lessons. In the summer of 2007, 37 youth were exposed to eight different vegetables grown in the garden. Youth were surveyed before and after the lessons about their willingness to eat these vegetables. As part of the food preparation component of the program, one or more of these vegetables were featured each week. Overall, youth reported an increase in their willingness to eat seven of the eight vegetables they were exposed to. Onions, in particular, gained quite a bit of acceptance. Before the lessons, 46% of the youth said they would be willing to eat onions. After the lessons, 94% said they would be willing to eat them, a 48% increase in acceptance. Other vegetables that also showed a large percent gain in acceptance were zucchini (47%), spinach (37%), tomatoes (34%), and pumpkin (32%).

Marathon County WNEP staff has taught a one-time group nutrition lesson, as part of an overall 8-week program called “Learning Essentials About Parenting” (LEAP), for the Wausau Family Resource Center for ten years. All LEAP participants have children, and most are court-mandated and low-income. Approximately 15 adults participate bimonthly in a basic nutrition session that focuses on the dietary guidelines and the food pyramid. Part of the lesson teaches learners about whole grains and how to include whole grain foods in their daily food choices. After the lesson, 82% of 61 participants said that they were going to try to eat more whole grains each day. Additionally, 68% of these same learners said they anticipated making some other change to their diet, the diet of their children, or to their physical activity level as a result of attending the lesson. Participants’ comments included, “I will drink less soda and eat more high-fiber foods, I plan to eat less junk food and more fruits and vegetables, I plan to give my children more whole wheat products instead of enriched types, I will give my kids less juice and more water, and I plan to exercise more and watch less television.”

Tammy Hansen, Nutrition Education Program Coordinator - 2007 Success Story

« 2007 Success Stories Main | Top