Cooper Institute Develops NUTRIGRAM® Program for Texas Kids
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08/26/2010
NUTRIGRAM®, an intiative aimed to improve the health of Texas children, will provide snapshot of student nutrition, promote healthy lifestyles
In an effort to curb the alarming rates of obesity in Texas, The Cooper Institute was recently awarded a contract from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to develop a nutrition assessment and educational service for students called NUTRIGRAM®. The online survey, being created specifically for children grades 3-5, will provide an individual snapshot of each participating student's nutrition knowledge and behavior; empower students to take ownership of their food choices through online learning opportunities; and provide critical information to raise the bar for school nutrition.
“The Cooper Institute’s partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture will enable our organizations to assess, evaluate, and improve upon kids’ nutrition knowledge,” Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics Center said. “We’ve seen firsthand through The Cooper Institute’s youth fitness evaluations that knowledge has the power to transform individuals and communities, so we are optimistic NUTRIGRAM will spark a positive change in how Texas’ children will view and consume healthy foods.”
Through a question and answer format, NUTRIGRAM will generate a report for the individual student, parent and/or teacher, which will help track and measure nutrition knowledge and behaviors. The report also will provide TDA information on the various food choices students would like to see in their school cafeterias.
“If this obesity epidemic is not reversed we will, for the first time in history, see children living shorter lives than their parents,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. “NUTRIGRAM will assist us in developing solutions to ensure our children live healthy lives, which benefits taxpayers, businesses and most importantly our families. NUTRIGRAM is the perfect complement to the initiative we are promoting – the 3E’s of Healthy Living – Education, Exercise and Eating Right.”
NUTRIGRAM will also feature the first 3D game-based nutrition education program developed specifically for elementary schools. The games are intended to pique the interest of students to adopt healthier eating.
NUTRIGRAM is scheduled to be tested in 14 schools across Texas in 2011.
About The Cooper Institute
The Cooper Institute, established in 1970, by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit globally dedicated to preventive medicine research and education. Dr. Cooper is widely considered the "Father of Aerobics" and is credited with sparking today's fitness movement. Now The Cooper Institute is redefining health as a leader by reversing childhood obesity. The Cooper Institute’s FITNESSGRAM® is the fitness assessment of choice in Texas and the U.S.; providing assessments to more than 14 million students each year at more than 86,000 schools nationwide. Beyond research, each year thousands worldwide take courses from The Cooper Institute to become health and fitness leaders. The Cooper Institute’s Cooper Institute’s efforts or to support its life-changing work with a donation, visit www.CooperInstitute.org.
About the Texas Department of Agriculture
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) provides numerous services to Texans through four key areas: growing the agriculture industry; protecting consumers; enabling healthy lifestyles; and developing our economy. Through domestic and international marketing initiatives and various biosecurity measures, TDA promotes and protects the Lone Star State's $100 billion agriculture industry. The agency also protects Texans through programs to maintain the integrity of the state's natural resources and by ensuring consumers get what they pay for at the fuel pump and the grocery store. Additionally, as the administrator of federal nutrition programs and economic development grants, TDA also advocates healthy lifestyles among all Texans and fosters the advancement of communities across the Lone Star State. Through research, regulation, funding and marketing, TDA is committed to growing Texas' worldwide standing as a powerhouse of productivity. www.TexasAgriculture.gov