"We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve."
--Bill Gates
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| In front of Northaven Elementary School with my cousin, Lincoln Crum and my wonderful mother, Anna. |
Talking with kids around the country is always an opportunity
to find out what kids are thinking. Recently, I spoke with 5th graders at Northaven Elementary
School in Jeffersonville, Indiana (across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky). After
learning that more than half of the kids in the class knew someone with diabetes, I talked
about foods kids eat that have no nutritional value, such as the added sugars in processed foods, sodas, and flavored milk. It was an amazing conversation with a
mini-United Nations classroom of children.
What took my breath away was the bravery of several children who asked questions about family members with
Alzheimer’s and cancer. The fact that 5th
graders are aware of these diseases is hard enough to comprehend; the fact that
they feel the weight of these diseases on their families and are brave enough
to ask for answers is amazing.
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| View of Louisville, KY from the new Walking Bridge (old Railroad bridge) across the Ohio River |
The fact is that ALL kids are entitled to be healthy and happy.
All children deserve access to good foods.
Good foods can put kids on a path free of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and
Alzheimer’s.
We know is that
diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and cancer often take years – and sometimes decades – to develop. These are diseases of older adults, not children. The Standard American Diet, filled with processed foods full of added sugars, preservatives, food dyes and other artificial ingredients, is not what children should be eating. The younger
kids are when they start on a path towards healthier eating with no added sugars and more whole, plant-based foods, the better their health outcomes will be.
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| Another view looking east from the walking bridge over the Ohio River. |
What happened at Northaven Elementary School in Jeffersonville, Indiana was a powerful
lesson about why all kids deserve access to healthy foods and access to regular physical fitness.
Thank you to the teachers and principal at Northaven
Elementary School. The children were so
polite and attentive. Thank you to my
cousin, Lincoln Crum, for introducing me to the school and to the 5th
grade teacher who invited me to share the lessons of Growing Healthy Kids with her students.
We are Growing Healthy Kids, one child at a time. Because it's what America needs!
In gratitude,
Nancy L. Heinrich, MPH
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
