ITS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD THE PROSPECTIVE OUTLOOK OF

IMPLEMENTING NUTRITION EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

Its Not Just

About Food
The prospective outlook of
implementing Nutrition
Education in Schools

Img source: Huffington Post

October 14, 2016

A Comparison Between Japanese and American School Systems: Reflection &

Future Prospects in the U.S. Today
by Vy Doan, Dietetic Intern (CSUSB ISPP 17)

LOOKING AT MEAL TIMES IN SCHOOLS BEYOND EATING IN THIS ISSUE

School meal service programs are on how the child obesity pandemic may be
solved. All studies have seemed to lead to a
essential for childrens long-term common method that has yielded positive
nutrition and health promotion results: Implementation
education programs.
of nutrition

(Ishida 2015). According to a study done

in the Role of School Meal Service in
Nutrition by Hiromi Ishida from Kagawa Img source: Huffington Post
Nutrition University, a significant effort is Itadakimasu!-Lets Eat: Comparison of
needed from both the academia and the field Japanese School Nutrition versus U.S.
to raise nutritional issues such as deficiencies Just because the U.S. has some kinks to work out before
and long term health in children. The results
of a comprehensive 2012 study backed by
If you can hold becoming close to following the Japanese School
System model, it doesnt mean all hope is lost.
the Gates Foundation and published in the
medical journal The Lancet, showed that of the attention of
the worlds nations, children born in Japan
can expect to have the healthiest lives and children, you
live the longest. The U.S. was ranked 32.
(ODonnoghue 2013). About 30 percent of
American children are obese to date. (CDC
can educate
2015). The obesity epidemic has now become
a global issue with more countries, especially
them.
Img source: Huffington Post
developing countries increasing in obesity
rates. Japans child obesity rates from 1976 -Kate Bratskeir Super Sprowtz teaches kids to Eat
to 2000 have had steady trends in increasing Their Superpowers
The Huffington Post (2015) With the child obesity epidemic rising each year, more
0.1 percent of obese children per year
emphasis on nutrition education intervention is starting
(America has tripled that percentage). to take over the U.S., specifically in New York City,
Recent studies have compared and analyzed which will hope to spread nationwide in the near future.
trends all over the world, seeking solutions
ITS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD THE PROSPECTIVE OUTLOOK OF 2
IMPLEMENTING NUTRITION EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS | Issue 1.0

Itadakimasu! Lets Eat

A comparison of Japanese School Nutrition versus U.S.

According to the Washington Post (2013),

Japans revolutionary school lunches has
helped slow the rise of child obesity.
Although Japan hasnt solved the childhood
obesity issue, their system of made-from-
scratch meals eaten in classrooms allow no
freedom of choice for students up until the
age of 15. Many possible explanations could
be due to the fact that there are no vending
machines at school and some schools are not
allowed to bring food from home (although
some dietary restrictions may allow for it).
The Japanese school lunch provides healthy
foods but also promotes nutritional
Japanese students takes shifts and gown up and serve their
education within the classroom and are led Img source: Huffington Post
fellow classmates for their daily communal lunch together.
by nutrition teachers, or dietitians that are in
charge of meal service management, as well
as food and nutrition education. According to REFERENCES 3. Obese Youth Over Time. (2015). Retrieved October
14, 2016, from
Ishida, Japan has been utilizing nutrition http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/obesity-
1. Ishida, H. (2015). Role of School Meal Service in
teachers in their program since 2004 and Nutrition. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol JNSV Journal of youth-txt.htm
about 40% of all nutrition experts are placed Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, J Nutr Sci 4. Sanborn, A. A. (5600). Japanese School Lunch: It's
Vitaminol Journal of Nutritional Science and Not Just About the Food. Retrieved October 14, 2016,
at schools. The Washington Posts Chico from http://foodtank.com/news/2015/05/japanese-
Vitaminology, 61(Supplement).
Harlan reported an impressive financially doi:10.3177/jnsv.61.s20 school-lunch-its-not-just-about-the-food
feasible healthy meal in Japan at about 2. O'Donoghue, J. (n.d.). Why are Japanese children
the healthiest in the world? | The Japan Times.
$3/meal. And although we dont hold ideal Retrieved October 14, 2016, from
ingredients or a system on par with Japans, http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2015/12/25/food/why-
U.S. (and worldwide) can apply aspects of are-japanese-children-the-healthiest-in-the-
world/#.WAEZMfkrLcs
the Japanese curriculum into the schools.

Super Sprowtz Teaches Kids to Eat Their

Superpowers
Although we are far from reaching the
Japanese School Nutrition model, hope is
not lost. Thanks to Michelle Obamas
initiative, U.S. schools have taken long
strides towards implementing healthier food
Img source: Huffington Post choices such as instilling salad bars and
smart snacks. Another way is through
nutrition education. Radha Agrawal a local
pizzeria shop owner envisioned something
bigger for our young generation so she
developed a team of colorful puppets called
the Super Sprowtz which is taking the New
York Citys School system to a whole new
level. A study in 2013 by the Cornell
Universitys Center for Behavioral Economics
in Child Nutrition Programs evaluated 7,500
students across the urban school districts to
REFERENCES
specifically test whether or not media in the
Bratskeir, K. (n.d.). How A Cast Of Dancing
cafeteria would increase student salad
Superhero Vegetables Are Changing The Way Kids
Eat -- For The Better. Retrieved October 14, 2016,
fromhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/22/super-
sprowtz-raw-dancing-vegeteables_n_6508250.html
selection. Salad bars were decorated with
the Sprowtz team, in addition the caferteria
installed monitors showing clips from the
show to implement nutrition education
during lunch time. The results were
astounding. There was more than a 250
percent increase of salad bare visits among
students in just seven weeks. Upon this
success, the program is now prospectively
reaching to schools in Compton, Los Angeles
and will hopefully grow nationwide, as well.
Puerto Rico public scools were provided
translated versions of the super hero gang, as
well and is expanding to 3,000 classrooms
across the country. Agrawal argues that
teaching healthy eating from an early age is
part of the solution and that Food and
nutrition education is the number one
subject we should instill in children.