Editorial recommendation

As reported in previous editions of the health and fitness section of PELINKS4U, educators should be aware of alternative food guide pyramids out there, such as the Mediterranean Food Pyramid and the Vegetarian Food Pyramid.

In my opinion the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid is the best guide available for understanding how various foods might impact overall health.

Darren Dale
Health & Fitness Section Editor

VIDEO OLYMPICS
This month’s activity is "Video Olympics." This activity involves events where student volunteers participate in a fun competition with another school through video. Although only the top boy and girl for each event will be videotaped, those demonstrating improvement in an event will be recognized.

"Challenge categories" should be determined, such as shuttle run, or even items from the physical fitness test. Events will take place after school, and after each student performs each challenge category, the winners of each event are determined. Other students will have the opportunity to improve their scores when called back to run through their challenge category again.

An assembly can be put together to videotape the winners of each category, and to recognize all the students who improved their scores in those events. Once the taping process is complete an exchange of videotapes are made between schools. The author indicates that his students really enjoyed watching the same events performed by the other school. The author includes sample letters, permission slips, sign up sheets, and a certificate in this chapter.

The USDA Food Pyramid has had a revision with a new-look food pyramid being introduced. Official information (USDA website) on the new pyramid is comprehensive and reasonably easy to follow (whether this means that health educators and physical education teachers like the newly designed pyramid is up for debate).

The USDA site mentioned above contains a link to a website that provides a personal assessment of food intake and physical activity level, according to the recommendations in the new pyramid.

Dietwatch is one of several websites that discuss the pros and cons of the new pyramid.

For teachers wanting to provide students with information on the new pyramid, a neat summary of the new information can be found at the kidshealth.org website.

In the latter part of the first half of this year, news reports came out about a downward revision in the number of annual deaths the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute to obesity. This revision (the CDC now rank obesity as the seventh leading cause of preventable death, not the second leading cause) has caused many in the scientific community to look harder at the role obesity might play in illness and premature mortality.

2005 Dietary Guidelines

The website of the Mayo Clinic remains one of the most informative sites on a range of health-related issues including food and nutrition, disease prevention, food safety, and healthy cooking.

Watch the Heat! Cautions regarding your child, your car, and the heat of summer.

Toddlers - Summer Fun Means WATER SAFETY! Unfortunately, each year, nationwide, more than 300 children under 5 years old drown in residential swimming pools, usually a pool owned by their family. In addition, more than 2,000 children in that age group are treated in hospital emergency rooms for submersion injuries. And, don't think drownings just occur in pools. A toddler can just as easily drown in a toilet, a bucket of water or an undrained bathtub. - source:site

Also read this great article, "Swimming Pool Safety for Toddlers."

Food Safety While Hiking, Camping & Boating.

Food Poisoning: How to Eat Safely this Summer. Also read Barbecue Food Safety.

Summer Safety - This page contains very good resources for safety while traveling, playing outside, and when it's an emergency.

This 'Summer Safety Tips' site is pretty thorough. It covers everything; including coolers, barbecues, and wide windows. This PDF file appears to contain the same information, but a benefit is the ability to easily print it as a reference.