July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Miss Ohio brings message (05/11/06)
By By BETH A. CLAYTON-
FORT RECOVERY — Sometimes you need something sparkly to get their attention.
Marlia Fontaine, Miss Ohio 2005, had the rapt attention of her Fort Recovery Middle School audience Wednesday, but the crown she passed around the auditorium didn’t hurt.
Fontaine, a Darke County native, visited to speak about making positive choices in life to achieve one’s goals; a theme that tied in nicely with Fort Recovery Schools’ Wellness Policy, adopted Tuesday at the school board meeting.
The policy was drawn up by the Wellness Committee, headed by middle school principal Ted Shuttleworth and comprised of teachers, parents, students and community members, including nutritionist Melissa Hoying.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to teach how positive choices affect your personal wellness,” said Hoying, who also co-directs the Miss Lake Festival program, which put her in contact with Fontaine.
The policy came as a result of the federal Child Nutrition Act of 2004, which mandates that all schools must have a wellness policy in place by the 2006-2007 school year.
Fontaine began her presentation by telling students about her successes in the Miss America pageant system, adding that hard work helped her achieve her goals.
“The only way I was able to do this is because of the positive choices I made in my life,” she said.
Fontaine’s pageant platform is entitled “Educate to Alleviate” and concerns diabetes education.
Fontaine said she chose that platform because several family members are afflicted with type II diabetes and that the disease is sometimes preventable.
“Anyone is at risk of diabetes if they don’t take care of themselves,” she said.
See Miss Ohio page 7
Continued from page 1
Being sedentary and overweight are two major causes of the disease, and Fontaine said that while the majority of those with type II diabetes are adults over the age of 40, children as young as her middle school audience are now being diagnosed with it.
Fontaine advised students to eat smaller portions and cut back on fast food, and find simple ways to incorporate exercise in to their lives, which echoes strategies identified in the Wellness Policy.
Shuttleworth said that while some aspects of the policy, such as 30 minutes of physical activity a day for elementary school students (recess), are already in place, others will be new next year.
“Where we are going to be seeing changes are in vending machines, concession stands, school lunch options,” said Shuttleworth.
He also said the committee will be looking for suggestions to offer to parents for classroom birthday treats instead of cookies and cupcakes and fundraising alternatives instead of selling candy.
Shuttleworth said that as part of the policy, the committee gathered baseline information about the health of Fort Recovery students, and learned that 14 percent of middle school students have a body fat percentage of 30 or above.
“When you are dealing with adults who have 30 percent body fat, it’s called obesity, but with teenagers, they are considered at a high risk of obesity,” said Shuttleworth, who added that statistics show that adolescents who are obese have nearly an 80 percent chance of being obese in adulthood.
Shuttleworth said that while the percentage of Fort Recovery students at risk for obesity is lower than the national average of 16 percent, it is higher than he expectedgiven that so many students in the community are active in sports or work on family farms.
“This generation is getting sedentary,” said Shuttleworth. “They are going home and watching TV or playing video games instead of getting outside.”
But a written policy and a celebrity visit are just the beginning.
“This is not a committee where you write a policy and put it in a file cabinet,” said Shuttleworth.
He said that next fall, the school would hold “Fit at the Fort,” a campaign during which kids will be encouraged to walk or ride their bicycles to school.
Also, Shuttleworth said that he is hoping to secure a grant to obtain pedometers for all students and staff, so participants can work toward a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day.
But for now, drinking water instead of soda and walking around the block are good places to start.
“How you live your life is based on the decisions you make everyday,” Fontaine said. “Make the right choices right now.”[[In-content Ad]]
Marlia Fontaine, Miss Ohio 2005, had the rapt attention of her Fort Recovery Middle School audience Wednesday, but the crown she passed around the auditorium didn’t hurt.
Fontaine, a Darke County native, visited to speak about making positive choices in life to achieve one’s goals; a theme that tied in nicely with Fort Recovery Schools’ Wellness Policy, adopted Tuesday at the school board meeting.
The policy was drawn up by the Wellness Committee, headed by middle school principal Ted Shuttleworth and comprised of teachers, parents, students and community members, including nutritionist Melissa Hoying.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to teach how positive choices affect your personal wellness,” said Hoying, who also co-directs the Miss Lake Festival program, which put her in contact with Fontaine.
The policy came as a result of the federal Child Nutrition Act of 2004, which mandates that all schools must have a wellness policy in place by the 2006-2007 school year.
Fontaine began her presentation by telling students about her successes in the Miss America pageant system, adding that hard work helped her achieve her goals.
“The only way I was able to do this is because of the positive choices I made in my life,” she said.
Fontaine’s pageant platform is entitled “Educate to Alleviate” and concerns diabetes education.
Fontaine said she chose that platform because several family members are afflicted with type II diabetes and that the disease is sometimes preventable.
“Anyone is at risk of diabetes if they don’t take care of themselves,” she said.
See Miss Ohio page 7
Continued from page 1
Being sedentary and overweight are two major causes of the disease, and Fontaine said that while the majority of those with type II diabetes are adults over the age of 40, children as young as her middle school audience are now being diagnosed with it.
Fontaine advised students to eat smaller portions and cut back on fast food, and find simple ways to incorporate exercise in to their lives, which echoes strategies identified in the Wellness Policy.
Shuttleworth said that while some aspects of the policy, such as 30 minutes of physical activity a day for elementary school students (recess), are already in place, others will be new next year.
“Where we are going to be seeing changes are in vending machines, concession stands, school lunch options,” said Shuttleworth.
He also said the committee will be looking for suggestions to offer to parents for classroom birthday treats instead of cookies and cupcakes and fundraising alternatives instead of selling candy.
Shuttleworth said that as part of the policy, the committee gathered baseline information about the health of Fort Recovery students, and learned that 14 percent of middle school students have a body fat percentage of 30 or above.
“When you are dealing with adults who have 30 percent body fat, it’s called obesity, but with teenagers, they are considered at a high risk of obesity,” said Shuttleworth, who added that statistics show that adolescents who are obese have nearly an 80 percent chance of being obese in adulthood.
Shuttleworth said that while the percentage of Fort Recovery students at risk for obesity is lower than the national average of 16 percent, it is higher than he expectedgiven that so many students in the community are active in sports or work on family farms.
“This generation is getting sedentary,” said Shuttleworth. “They are going home and watching TV or playing video games instead of getting outside.”
But a written policy and a celebrity visit are just the beginning.
“This is not a committee where you write a policy and put it in a file cabinet,” said Shuttleworth.
He said that next fall, the school would hold “Fit at the Fort,” a campaign during which kids will be encouraged to walk or ride their bicycles to school.
Also, Shuttleworth said that he is hoping to secure a grant to obtain pedometers for all students and staff, so participants can work toward a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day.
But for now, drinking water instead of soda and walking around the block are good places to start.
“How you live your life is based on the decisions you make everyday,” Fontaine said. “Make the right choices right now.”[[In-content Ad]]
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