Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables:

Healthy Eating for Teenagers

The Task

Congratulations! You and your partners have been elected as officers of the Healthy Eating Club. You have the following tasks ahead of you:

• Search for books on healthy eating and nutrition in the AHS Media Center.
• Locate and review at least one book in the AHS media center on healthy eating and nutrition.
• Locate and review at least two online articles on healthy eating and nutrition. You may use Kentucky Virtual Library (www.kyvl.org).
• Create a handout in Word listing overweight and obesity statistics among teenagers, weight loss tips and successful diet program(s).
• Create a brochure in Publisher identifying the importance of nutrition, healthy eating habits and activities for the healthy eating club.
• Site book and online sources using MLA format.
• Present your handout and brochure to the class.

The Background

The American Heart Association provides information about cardiovascular disease, strokes, warning signs, healthy lifestyle tips, and other related information. Check out the American Heart Association web site to learn more.

Read about healthy lifestyle tips on the American Heart Association’s web site at: American Heart Association Lifestyle Tips

"People who have too much body fat are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Obesity is unhealthy because excess weight increases the strain on the heart. It's linked with coronary heart disease mainly because it raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and can make diabetes more likely to develop." (American Heart Association - Obesity).

“It's easy to look for quick fixes when trying to manage your weight. Fad diets offer unrealistic results and advise eating (or not eating) special foods. A sensible weight plan includes developing — and maintaining — a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.” (American Heart Association - Healthy Eating Tips).

Our purpose here is threefold: (1) research the importance of healthy eating and nutrition, (2) identify overweight and obesity statistics among teenagers, and (3) promote successful diet and nutrition programs. In this way, your group will start to serve as officers of the Healthy Eating Club by promoting awareness and motivation for healthier lifestyles among teenagers.

The Process

1. Arrange for you and your partners to visit the AHS media center and browse the books on healthy eating and nutrition. Select at least one book on healthy eating and nutrition.
2. Conduct a search for at least two online articles on healthy eating and nutrition. Search for information about obesity statistics for teenagers, successful diet programs, and healthy lifestyle tips. You may conduct a Kentucky Virtual Library search. You may also choose to search the American Heart Association and the Food and Drug Administration web sites.
3. Create a handout in Microsoft word listing overweight and obesity statistics among teenagers, weight loss tips, and successful diet program(s). Include a title, bulleted list and one picture on your handout. You may want to consult Weight Watchers for a successful diet program for individuals who are overweight or obese.
4. Next, create a brochure in Publisher for the Healthy Eating Club. Make sure to describe the importance of nutrition, healthy eating habits, and activities for the Healthy Eating Club.
5. Create a Works Cited Page referencing all book and online sources in MLA format. View the Online Writing Lab for assistance with MLA Format at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
6. Then, present your healthy eating presentation to the class in a 3 to 5 minute presentation. Show copies of the handout and brochure to the class. You will try to persuade your fellow class members to join the healthy eating club and promote healthy eating.

The Resources

In order to search for print resources of nutrition and healthy eating, try these keyword searches in the AHS library catalog:

• nutrition
• health
• healthy eating

Some general Web sites that might be useful include:

• Kentucky Virtual Library
• American Heart Association
• Food and Drug Administration
• Weight Watchers
• Healthy Eating Tips for Teens

Evaluation

You will be graded by your teacher at the end of the project. Your teacher will fill out the following Rubric to evaluate your project. You will be graded on the following areas:

• Your handout includes a title, bulleted list, and picture.
• Your handout and brochure includes required information.
• Your Works Cited Page includes book and online sources.
• Presentation describes handout and brochure to fellow class members.
• Project and Presentation complete on time.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully begun recruitment of members to the Healthy Eating Club. Thanks for participating in this WebQuest to encourage nutrition and healthy eating among teenagers. Remember to turn in your project to your teacher.

References

American Heart Association. 19 Sept. 2005 <www.americanheart.org>.

Food and Drug Administration. 19 Sept. 2005 <www.fda.gov>.

Healthy Eating Tips for Teens. 2005. Better Health USA. 19 Sept. 2005

<http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm>.

Kentucky Virtual Library. 19 Sept. 2005 <www.kyvl.org>.

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format. 2004. Purdue University.

19 Sept. 2005 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html>.

Weight Watchers. 19 Sept. 2005 <www.weightwatchers.com>.