Heart Smart Cardiovascular School Health Program

Today’s children eat too much saturated fats, sodium, processed foods and meat while not eating enough fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Our children are growing up at greater risk for obesity than their parents, with less interest in exercise and more interest in sedentary activities such as computer gaming and television.

By encouraging a heart smart cardiovascular school health program in your area you will make a positive impact on the future lives of children. You will also make an amazing impact on the psychological health of children as they are led kicking and screaming to a platter of health food to know that people in their community care enough about their health to change the way things have always been done.

Heart smart cardiovascular school health programs also have a positive impact on undernutrition that can have a lasting effect on children’s cognitive development; on iron deficiency anemia that increases fatigue and shortens attention span; on obesity that is a growing problem among teens and causes premature deaths; on unsafe weight–loss methods that lead to poor growth and delayed development; on eating disorders that often start in adolescence; on dental cares that may be the most prevalent of all diseases; on adult illnesses such as coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.

Resources:

Preventive Medicine: The Heart Smart Cardiovascular School Health Promotion

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1738766

American Journal of Health Promotion: Heart Smart School Lunch Program: A Vehicle for Cardiovascular Health Promotion

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1738766

Circulation: Cardiovascular Health Promotion in the Schools

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/110/15/2266.full

Tulane University School of Medicine: Health Ahead Heart Smart

http://tulane.edu/som/cardiohealth/ahead.cfm

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Guidelines for School Health Programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00042446.htm

American Journal of Healh Promotion: Heart Smart School Lunch Program