LakeCounty Extension
915 Michigan Ave
Baldwin, MI49304 /

P: 231-745-2732F: 231-745-6213

/ E-mail:

Web: msue.msu.edu/Lake

February 2008

Nutrition series a real eye opener for Baldwin students
Childhood obesity is a continuing concern for U.S. families. It’s not a temporary problem, as according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. One study found that 80 percent of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25 percent of obese adults were overweight as children.
To help address this issue for Lake Couny, MSU Extension educator Kilah King works with children in a variety of settings. She recently facilitated a nutrition series with second and third graders enrolled in Baldwin Elementary School’s Project FOCUS, an after-school, enrichment program.
During the first session, King discussed MyPyramid, the USDA’s new food guide, and shared the importance of making healthy choices and regular physical activity. The group was excited to learn about the food groups and was surprised to learn that school recessis a form of exercise.
The class discussed foods they enjoyed and placed them into the appropriate food groups. The students discovered that some foods belong to more than one food group.
“If I just eat pizza everyday, I can eat all the food groups at one time,” one student said. King explained that he was partially right, but that to be healthy, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be eaten more often.
During the second gathering, King talked about the vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables and why these foods should be consumed more than other food groups. / She shared how vitamins and minerals are responsible for helping to heal cuts and wounds and also contribute to how we feel mentally.
“That must be why I feel sick when I eat too much junk food,” one student observed.
During the third meeting, King talked about the grains group. The students were confused by the word until they were given examples of common grains they ate every day.
The class was also introduced to making a healthy trail mix that included various grains. They were very pleased to learn about a snack that was healthy, easy to make and fun to eat. At the beginning of the last session, several students mentioned that they asked their parents to buy the ingredients for making trail mix at home.
During the final session, the class learned about the milk group, including how milk gets from the cow to the grocery store. They discussed healthy, low-fat food choices and taste tested 2 percent and fat-free milk. None of the students noticed a difference in the tastes of the two kinds of milk.
“The skim milk tastes the same as 2 percent milk. I would not have drunk it if I knew it was skim. Now I can tell my mom to buy skim because it tastes the same, but no fat,” several students said.
Each week following the nutrition presentations the students participated in 20 to 30 minutes of exercise.This enabled King to reinforce the importance of balancing food with physical activity and remind them of how much fun exercise can be.
Contact: Kilah King
/ Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facingcommunities. Citizens serving on countyExtension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming. MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners,the state through MichiganStateUniversity and federally through the US Department of Agriculture.
Empowering youth in Lake County
Lake County 4-H gives young people the skills they need to grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible adults. These skills empower youths to be leaders, share their talentsand knowledge and create a better community.
Today, more than ever, our children need the nurturance, guidance and help that will make positive differences in their lives. Lake County 4-H offers a safe environment that helps youths of all ages create positive values, a positive identity and become socially competent while promoting high self-esteem.
One of the 4-H programs that nurtures positive youth development is the summer 4-H baseball and softball program, which has involved about 100 children for more than 15 years.
Participants learn teamwork, caring for others, increase self-esteem, find a sense of purpose, attain achievement and learn good sportsmanship. The program also builds family and community support by getting parents involved in what their children are doing.
This gives the children the support they need to succeed and the perception that they are valued in the community. In addition, the baseball/softball program provides a structured and constructive summer activity.
4-H Capitol Experience offers a completely different kind of learning experience for young people. This statewide program takes teens to the state capitol in Lansing for three days of learning about state government and civic engagement.
Lake County has sent four students to this program each year for the past 10 years for a hands-on-experience that prepares them to be responsible citizens who use knowledge of government and politics to make decisions about their community.
In addition, positive peer influence, creativity, planning and decision making, and interpersonal competence are all skills youth learn during this experience.
These are only two of the many examples of how Lake County 4-H gives youth numerous ways to learn, grow and develop the skills and confidence while creating purpose in their lives.
Contact: Seth Hopkins / MSUE networks with decision makers
The quarterly Lake County Township Association meetings have proven to be an effective means for disseminating educational information and building communication across LakeCounty government.
Connie Theunick, Lake County MSU Extension Director, has built strong relationships with local township officials by attending the quarterly association meetings.
Officials in county’s 15 townships attend the association meetings for a variety of reasons, including networking, gaining information from speakers, problem solving and sharing individual township information.
Participants include township supervisors, clerks, treasurers, township trustees, county commissioners and other public officials.
The topics that Theunick addresses at the township association meetings include county and state demographics, invasive exotics, land use, tourism, community development and ballot proposal education.
MSU Extension has a strong partnership with local government and elected officials. Theunick is often invited to township meetings to offer educational presentations or to assist township committee members with topics of concern.
MSU Extension’s mission is “to help people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical needs, issues and opportunities.” The organization’s role is not to tell people what their course of action should be, but to supply resources and research-based information that can be used to support community leaders in their decision-making processes.
Contact: Connie Theunick

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal opportunity employer; Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas G. Coon, Extension Director, MichiganStateUniversity, E. Lansing, MI48824