Megan Middleton: On the Scene

By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer

There is a staggering reality behind the expanding waistlines of Texas children --- more than a third of kids in the Lone Star State are overweight and headed for a life of health problems related to obesity.

That was what Gov. Rick Perry and Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of "aerobics," said when they came to Tyler to talk about the "obesity epidemic" in late August.

Perry ceremonially signed a bill while he was here that strengthens physical fitness requirements for students in Texas public schools.

But the schools not only play a vital role in helping shape students' physical activity, they can also play an important role in helping provide nutritious meals to kids to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Tyler Independent School District feeds an estimated 12,000 students a day.

Victor Olivares, food service coordinator for TISD, said don't be deceived by the pizza and "fries" being served up in the lunchrooms.

The pizza is actually "smart pizza" in disguise, with low-fat mozzarella and turkey pepperoni. Only one slice is served to students, and it's served with items such as corn, green beans, a fresh apple and low-fat milk.

"When you combine that together, you're getting all the nutrients you need," Olivares said.

And the fries in the cafeteria, he said, are baked - not fried. In fact, there's not a fryer in the district, Olivares said.

"We don't fry anything at any level - through high school," he said.

Fries, he pointed out, come in a portion of less than half a cup.

The main thing is moderation, Olivares said. He also said it's important to provide children with foods that they will eat but that are cooked in the healthiest manner possible and to also introduce new vegetables and fruits to them.

Olivares said he once heard a dietician say, "It's not nutritious unless they eat it."

But what happens when kids leave school and go home?

Chomping endlessly on potato chips while hunched in front of a television after school does little for maintaining whatever nutritional or fitness habits the school has tried to instill in the children.

Like in most areas of schooling, parents need to continue the good work at home.

"We serve one main meal a day," Olivares said. "It goes further than us."

"We can at least jump start the day, give the kids a good lunch, but it can't stop there."

Olivares said TISD sends home school menus with the younger students that include special nutritional information from the Texas Department of Agriculture printed in a fun format.

The October menu, for example, shows off the nutrient values of a pumpkin, informing parents and kids that it's rich in Vitamin A, beta carotene and potassium and providing a fun activity and jokes.

Olivares urged parents to keep the healthy eating habits at home the children are receiving at school and to not be afraid to buy low-fat cheeses or low-fat milk because that's what their children are used to eating at school.

"They see fruit all day at school," he said. "Buy fruits, and encourage them to continue eating fruits."

He suggests to parents Granny Smith apples because kids tend to enjoy the tart flavor. Give your kids 100 percent fruit juices, which is what they get at school, Olivares said. Avoid fast food and quick fixes, he said, remember the food pyramid and try to help supplement what you know your children ate at school that day.

The district sells a lot of baked foods in the snack areas at the secondary schools, Olivares said, adding that TISD has pulled back from offering the fattier foods kids can buy.

"The kids are used to seeing baked, not fried, fruits, low-fat," he said. "These are things they see throughout their day. So if it could continue on in the evening time in a moderated diet, then children would be really set nutritionally."

Luckily, there's also an abundance of tips and ideas online for parents to make living healthier at home something fun and not seem like punishment to children accustomed to sugary sodas and greasy chips.

At the Texas Department of Agriculture Web site, www.agr.-state.tx.us, parents can find some useful hints.

In a publication called "10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Family's Eating Habits," the TDA suggests letting children be part of the shopping experience to help them feel more involved in their food choices, planning weekly menus and slipping in vegetables and fruit into dishes that the family already eats.

That TDA publication also suggests taking children on field trips to the farmer's market or planting an herb or vegetable garden at home to help them understand that food doesn't spring up at the supermarket.

Why put forth the effort to make living healthier easier and fun?

What's at stake was probably said best during the governor's visit a few weeks ago as he and Dr. Cooper discussed statistics and possible outcomes of the "obesity epidemic."

"We're talking the first generation of Texans to live a shorter lifespan than their parents."

Megan Middleton
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