David Vogelsang, Brigham Young University
Life Sciences
More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese (CDC, 2013a), and since 1980, obesity among adolescents has risen from 5% to 18% (CDC, 2013b). Unless we do something to combat the growing obesity epidemic, we are consigning ourselves and future generations to a lifetime of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and psychological distress (CDC, 2013a). Cooking Anatomy Academy (CAA) promotes healthy eating and cooking among parents and students in the Polynesian community to raise awareness about the growing obesity epidemic. Our primary focus is introducing parents and students to healthy, great tasting foods and easy to prepare meals (Brown, 2011). Our secondary focus is to teach the simple anatomy and physiology important to understanding healthy nutrition. CAA is composed of seven, one hour lessons that are being offered as an afterschool program at Mana Academy Charter School. We’ve developed the CAA curriculum to incorporate many of the nutrition guidelines on MyPlate.gov, and focus on moderation, variety and raw/unrefined foods. To study the impact of Cooking Anatomy Academy, we will take a qualitative approach and use journal entries to collect data. Participant journal entries will answer prompts like, “based on what you learned today, what will you have for a snack tomorrow,” or, “how many fruit servings should you have each day?” CAA mentors will record any positive or negative feedback they receive during each lesson. From the data we collect, we hope to see that CAA is helping participants make healthy food choices and increasing their obesity awareness.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Adult obesity facts [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Childhood obesity facts [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
Brown, L. B. (2011). Planning single-event nutrition education: A new model. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 103(4), 48-52.