Nutrition and Body Image Unit – Topics and Materials
Essential Question: What do we eat? Why do we eat what we eat? How does what we eat affect our bodies?
Overview: This unit has a similar flow as the drugs and alcohol unit. We look at eating habits, food advertisements and PSAs. Then we’re going to create a PSA in the end – either for the auditorium or a Health Fair.
Supplies to Order: (already ordered)
Food, Inc: http://www.foodincmovie.com/ – about food industry, including fast food industry (based on book, Fast Food Nation) – goes into slaughterhouses, etc…
Super Size Me – about fast food industry
Ingreedients: The Movie: http://www.ingreedientsmovie.com/ – primarily about hydrogenated oils
Lesson 1: What do we eat?
Part I: Warm Up: Warm Up: Do you think you are healthy eater? Why or why not?
Assignment: Start your food diary – starting with everything you ate since you showed up at school today – then finish for HW – everything you eat until tomorrow start of school.
Part II: Share Food Diaries.
· Analysis: Calculate how you eat based on the new food pyramid – how many servings of each food group?
è Food Log #1
Lesson 2: Fast Food- what effect has the availability of cheap fast food made on the American diet? What social and economic factors influence the consumption of fast food?
Warm Up:
Activity: Watch a documentary about the Fast Food industry – either Food, Inc. (90 min) or Super Size Me (96 min)
Journal and Discuss: See Food, Inc Discussion Guide or Super Size Me Questions
Lesson 3: What’s the big deal about sugar and corn syrup?
Warm Up: How much sugar do you consume in a day?
Read Article about Sugar and Corn Syrup.
Look at NYC Health Department PSAs Poster
Look at NYC Health Department PSA Video
Look at High Fructose Corn Syrup Commercial
Look at Saturday Night Live Parody
Discussion: What do you think the take-away should be about sugar and corn syrup?
Lesson 3: Extension Activity: Sugar in soda activity - students will use a measuring cup to measure the amount of sugar in a 20 oz. bottle of soda. They will talk about the impact of sugar and rise of diabetes.
Lesson 4: What’s a calorie? What should we eat? How much should we eat?
Warm Up:
Mini-Lesson: What is a calorie? What is metabolism?
Activity: Analyze McDonald’s Menu
à Do Food Log #2
Lesson 5: Are all fats the same? Trans Fats and Hydrogenated Oils
Warm Up:
Activity: Ingreedients: The Movie (60 Min)
Read an article about NYC Health Department Ban on Trans Fat and Mandated Calorie Counts (Debate: Nanny State or Good Policy? How far should the government go to help us eat healthier? Mandated calorie counts in restaurants? Ban on trans fats in restaurants? Eliminate pizza and burgers in school lunches? Prohibit government food cards to be used on sodas?)
Lesson 6: What’s really in our food? (This lesson could go with Food, Inc…)
Take a guess what ingredients are in a Domino’s Pizza w/ Peperoni (Deep Dish Crust, Hearty Marinara Sauce)? Or McDonald’s Apple Pie?
Activity: Look at ingredient list.
Activity: Use computers to look up ingredients of any food.
Activity: Pink Slime Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/pink-slime-for-school-lun_n_1322325.html
Lesson 7: Diseases Connected to Unhealthy Eating: Diabetes, Heart Disease
Warm Up: Do you know anyone who has diabetes, heart disease?
Activity: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention
è Do Food Log #3
Lesson 8: Food Reflection Final Assignment
Lesson 1: What do we eat?
(15 min) Part I: Warm Up: Do you think you are healthy eater? Why or why not?
(5 min) Introduce Unit: So far this year as part of our health curriculum, we have learned about drugs and alcohol, and how they affect our bodies. We have learned about sexual health, including STDs, HIV, and healthy sexual decision making. Now we are starting a unit about healthy eating – and we will learn about our own eating habits, calories and nutritional value, and current controversies in food production. At the end of the unit we will produce our own food journal and reflection. We’re going to start with that food journal right now.
(10 min) Activity #1: Start your food diary – starting with everything you ate since you showed up at school today – then finish for HW – everything you eat until tomorrow start of school.
(15 min) Activity #2: Look at new Food Pyramid. What do you notice? (Sample prompts: What are the categories? What foods are present? What foods are missing? What do the colors represent? What is the significance of the size of the pyramid dimensions?) Discuss. [You might want to compare the new pyramid to the old pyramid – available here.]
MATERIALS:
· Food Log
Part II:
Warm Up: Look at your food log? Did you notice any trends about how you eat?
Activity #1: Share Food Diaries. Turn and talk with a partner.
Activity #2: Look at Food Pyramid again. Categorize the foods you ate in your Food Log according to the Food Pyramid. Use chart.
Reflection: How balanced is your diet? How does your eating stack up on the food pyramid?
MATERIALS:
· Food Log (filled in by students)
· New Food Pyramid
· Food Pyramid Chart
24 Hour Food Log
What do I eat in a day?
Date and Time Started Log: ______
Date and Time Finished Log: ______
Time / Name of Food or Drink / QuantityExample: 3:45pm / Potato Chips / Small Bag
Your Food Pyramid: Look at your Food Logs and write the foods that you ate in the appropriate column.
Grains / Vegetables / Fruits / Milk / Meat & BeansLesson 2: Fast Food - what effect has the availability of cheap fast food made on the American diet? What social and economic factors influence the consumption of fast food?
Warm Up: How much fast food do you eat in a typical week? Why? What do you like or dislike about it? (This question works well with Super Size Me. It’s not a perfect fit for Food, Inc… but it could still work.)
Activity #1: Watch a documentary about the Fast Food industry – either Food, Inc. (90 min) or Super Size Me (96 min).
Activity #2: Journal and Discuss: See Food, Inc. Discussion Guide or Super Size Me Questions.
MATERIALS:
· Super Size Me or Food, Inc. DVD, Computer and Projector
· Food, Inc. Discussion Guide (See PDF File) or Super Size Me Questions (See Word File).
Lesson 3: What’s the big deal about sugar and corn syrup?
Warm Up: Estimate: How many teaspoons of sugar (or corn syrup) do you consume in a day? (Show students a teaspoon of sugar or a sugar packet.)
Activity #1: Watch NYC Health Department PSA Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62JMfv0tf3Q) and Look at “Are You Pouring on the Pounds?” Chart and Graphic Image
Activity #2: Read article, “Cut back, way back, on sugar, says heart group” and discuss.
· Activity #3: What’s the big deal about corn syrup? Look at High Fructose Corn Syrup Commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9vZYj-aJ4) and Saturday Night Live Parody (http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/corn-syrup-commercial/1313759).
Activity #4: Read corn syrup article.
Activity #5: Sugar in soda activity: Students will use a measuring cup to measure the amount of sugar in a 20 oz. bottle of soda. (Monsur will have instructions and materials)
Activity #6: Journal Reflection: What did you learn about sugar and corn syrup? What role does sugar play in your diet? What do you think about this topic?
MATERIALS:
· NYC Health Department PSA Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62JMfv0tf3Q on YouTube – must download first)
· “Are You Pouring on the Pounds?” Chart and Graphic Image
· “Cut back, way back, on sugar, says heart group” Article
· Corn Syrup Manufacturers Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9vZYj-aJ4
· Saturday Night Live Parody: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/corn-syrup-commercial/1313759
· “Corn Syrup vs. Sugar” Article
· Sugar
· Teaspoons
· Container (like empty 20 oz bottle of soda)
NYC Health Department Campaign Against Sugary Beverages
Cut back, way back, on sugar, says heart groupAmerican adults eat 22 teaspoons of sugar a day; teens eat 34 teaspoons
DALLAS — / MSN.com
A spoonful of sugar? Americans are swallowing 22 teaspoons of sugar each day, and it's time to cut way back, the American Heart Association says.
Most of that added sugar comes from soft drinks and candy — a whopping 355 calories and the equivalent of guzzling two cans of soda and eating a chocolate bar.
By comparison, most women should be getting no more than 6 teaspoons a day, or 100 calories, of added sugar — the sweeteners and syrups that are added to foods during processing, preparation or at the table. For most men, the recommended limit is 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories, the heart group says.
The guidelines do not apply to naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruit, vegetables or dairy products.
Soft drinks are the biggest culprit
The biggest culprits for the glut of sugar? Soft drinks by far, followed by candy, cakes, cookies and pies.
With about 8 teaspoons of added sugar, a regular 12-ounce soft drink will put most women over the recommended daily limit.
Cutting back on sugar likely won't be easy for many people, said Lona Sandon, a dietitian at Dallas' University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
"I think it's probably going to be a struggle for quite a few people," Sandon said.
Calculating one's sugar intake can be tricky as the government doesn't require labels to differentiate added sugars from naturally occurring sugars, said Johnson. But she points out that the biggest sources, like regular soft drinks and sweets, are pretty obvious. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a database for the added sugar in some foods.
To check for added sugar, look for a variety of ingredients including sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice on the label.
Teens eat 34 teaspoons of sugar a day
The heart group didn't recommend general limits for added sugar for children; a national health survey has shown that kids ages 14 to 18 consume an eye-popping 34 teaspoons of added sugar a day.
Sandon said that parents can help lower that sugar intake by getting soda out of the house, looking at how much sugar is in their kids' cereal and substituting snacks like cookies with popcorn.
Johnson concedes that sugar does play an important role in enhancing the taste of food, adding: "If you feel like, 'I just can't live with this low amount of sugar in my diet,' then what you need to do is up your energy needs."
In other words, she said, get moving. A man in his early 20s who walks more than three miles a day could consume about 288 calories, or about 18 teaspoons, of added sugar.
The statement says data indicates added sugar is contributing to Americans consuming too many discretionary calories — the number of calories remaining after a person eats the foods needed to meet nutrient requirements.
"We know for sure that if you are consuming excessive amounts of added sugar, you will add calories, which leads to weight gain, or you will displace other essential nutrients," she said.
On average, most women need about 1,800 calories a day and most men need about 2,200, Johnson said.
If someone drinks their daily calorie needs in soft drinks, they will be maintaining their weight, but won't be getting any nutrients, she said.
Wahida Karmally, nutrition director at Columbia University's Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, said that with these guidelines, it's important to remember overall moderation. Some people, for instance, might be doing fine in their sugar consumption but are overdoing it on fat.
"I don't want people to go back thinking if I just cut back on teaspoons of sugar I'm going to be very healthy," she said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Corn Syrup vs. Sugar
You’ve likely seen the advertisements promoting the idea that corn syrup is the same as sugar. There is a difference - high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has a slightly higher quantity of fructose than do traditional cane or beet sugars.
But the big downside of HFCS isn't that it is much less healthy than regular refined sugar (sucrose) - the truth is the body processes them in a similar way. The real downside is that since HFCS is so cheap, it is widely used: it's a primary ingredient in soft drinks and often hidden in processed foods including salad dressings and ketchup, jams, jellies, ice cream, bread and crackers. In short, it is one of the biggest sources of calories in the American diet, and serves as a "marker" for identifying cheap, processed, unhealthy foods of all kinds.
Regular consumption of HFCS, in fact the regular consumption of any sugar, may contribute to obesity, which in turn is a risk factor for several types of cancer and diabetes. In my opinion, HCFS is definitely bad for you and should be avoided - read food labels carefully and minimize your consumption of items that list HFCS as an ingredient. Also be aware that the Corn Refiners Association wants to rename HFCS as “corn sugar” - if this is approved, you will need to look out for that term on food labels as well.
Learn more about different types of sugar, all of which should be consumed in moderation.
Source: http://www.drweilblog.com/home/2011/8/13/corn-syrup-vs-sugar.html