OpinionsNurse TalesEat well and do well in school

Eat well and do well in school

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Aside from infants and older adults, students, particularly those who are away from home for the first time are vulnerable to poor choices of foods, skipping meals, eating junk/street foods, and ending up malnourished, getting sick, incurring absences, and getting poor grades. Oh my, what a waste of time, money and resources!

Why do students have to eat well? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America (USA) advocates that schools should implement policies and practices to create a nutrition environment that supports a healthy school nutrition environment which provides students with nutritious and appealing foods and beverages, consistent and accurate messages about good nutrition, and ways to learn about and practice healthy eating throughout the time children spend on school grounds–including before- and after-school.

Two new research studies have revealed that eating well leads to doing well in school. One study was done in Alberta, Canada comprising of 1,600 grade 5 students and which asked students about the foods they eat and certain eating behaviors , like whether they eat breakfast or eat in front of the TV. The diets were analyzed according to Canadian and international recommendations for food group intake, sugar intake and saturated fat intake. The data was compared with the standardized provincial achievement test scores. This study was reported in the September 2017 issue of the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research and the results revealed that boys who met recommendations for getting enough Milk & Alternatives and for limiting the sugar in their diets had better test scores on the standardized provincial exams. Another study done in the USA by the CDC which correlated academic achievement and nutrition of 15,600 grades 9-12 students who were asked about numerous health behaviors. Academic achievement was determined by asking students about their grades. The study found that students who reported getting mostly A’s were also most likely to: (1) Eat breakfast on all seven days; (2) eat fruits, vegetables, and drink 100% fruit juice once or two times a day; (3) drink one or more glasses per day of milk; and (4) not drink a can, bottle, or glass of soda or pop. Moreover, the researchers noted that the positive associations with eating well, physical activity was also associated with higher letter grades. (Sydney Massey, Students who eat well do better at school: Academic success and nutrition. https:bcdiary.ca)

Existing research data support the link which suggests that with better nutrition students are better able to learn, students have fewer absences, and students’ behavior improves, leading to fewer disruptions in the classroom. Three ways nutrition influences student learning potential and learning performance include: (1) Improve nutrition to increase brain function — several studies show that nutritional status can directly affect mental capacity among school-aged children and other studies have shown that improvements in nutrient intake can influence the cognitive ability and intelligence levels of school-aged children; (2) provide a balanced diet for better behaviors and learning environments — good nutrition helps students show up at school prepared to learn; and (3) promote diet quality for positive health outcomes — researchers have generally found out that a higher quality diet is associated with better performance in exams and that programs focused on improving students’ health also show modest improvements in students’ academic test scores (David Just. 3 ways nutrition influences student learning potential and school performance. June 28, 2014).

July is Nutrition Month and the theme this year is: Kumain nang wasto at maging aktibo… Push natin ‘to! Everyone is encouraged to advocate and realize the importance of a healthy diet, increased physical activity, and reduced sedentary behavior for better health. (Sally Atento-Altea. 2019 Nutrition Month celebration kicks off in Albay. PIA, July 3, 2019).

Happy Nutrition month!

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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