America is plagued with poor nutrition. There is more food available to people than ever before, but it lacks real nourishment. People no longer know what they should or should not be putting in their bodies.
They have begun to develop chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression and cancer. Childhood obesity has doubled in the last 30 years, now more than a third of youth are overweight or obese. All of these devastating illnesses are preventable and reversible through diet and lifestyle. Nutrition is a centuries-old cure that goes primarily unrecognized. The majority of people are unaware because they have little and ineffective nutritional education.
The prevalence of these chronic diseases in adults is a result of the absence of proper nutrition education offered to young children. There is a severe lack of nutrition education, chiefly during the critical ages when individuals are developing lifelong eating habits. As stated by an article in the American Journal of Health Studies, “The elementary school years are an ideal time to encourage the development of healthy food behaviors in children through nutrition education … These years are a key period for developing dietary habits and food preferences.”
Denver Public Schools (DPS) has acknowledged this and is striving to raise awareness among the community as well as implement garden programs in the elementary schools. Studies have shown that when kids can put their hands in the dirt, pull weeds and pick their own vegetables, it promotes comprehension and application of nutrition education. DPS was able to establish a Garden to Cafeteria program in August of 2010, and they have also developed three farms on elementary school properties. Cultivating more nutrition education for young children is critical in combating the current childhood obesity epidemic and in promoting their lifelong health.
DU students need to recognize that we can all play a role in educating our youth. Our future is dependent on their future and their future is looking bleak. For the benefit of each other and for the sake of our children we need to take initiative. DPS school gardens and community gardens need volunteers to be sustainable. Get connected with Sprout City Farms and get digging. The earth you shovel, the plants you water will contribute to the betterment of our youth and in turn the greater Denver community now and for years to come.
