You can tell a kid to eat a balanced diet, get more exercise and avoid tobacco, but sometimes that message is more effective when you show them the benefits of doing those things.
That’s why Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well initiative created the Kids Exhibit — an interactive, engaging experience for kids ages 6 to 12 that teaches them about healthy lifestyles. The traveling exhibit’s first stop was Ephesus Elementary School in Roopville on Nov. 6. Students visited nine fun and educational stations in the school’s gym, which was bustling with activity.
This exhibit will help lay the foundation for a healthy lifestyle early by targeting elementary and middle school students, according to Patricia Mitchell, wellness and prevention coordinator at Tanner Health System.
"Students learn better when they are engaged and having fun," Mitchell said. "We hope the children will take the lessons they learn here and use them to improve their health."
The Kids Exhibit features nine fun and educational stations that students can rotate through. Several stations focus on nutrition. For example, students see how to create a balanced plate of food with MyPlate and learn what it takes to actually burn a certain amount of calories. There is also a station called "Rethinking Your Drink" that shockingly illustrates how much sugar is in popular beverages, such as juices and sodas.
Other stations focus on fitness fun. Students can try out balance boards and test their flexibility. They can also challenge themselves to sit-ups and push-ups.
Engaging their scientific minds, students get to become part of an experiment at a station called "Using Energy." They dance, twirl Hula-Hoops and jump rope, then observe their bodies’ reactions — from feeling winded and having a pounding heart to sweating and feeling thirsty.
A highlight of the Kids Exhibit is the anti-tobacco station. It features real pig lungs — one that is healthy and another that is simulated to show the damage done after smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years.
"Giving kids the opportunity to see the effects of smoking will help them understand how important it is to stay tobacco-free," Mitchell said. "With the help of pig lungs, we're able to show what happens to humans who have been smokers for years."
Ephesus Elementary student 11-year-old Maggie McRae's favorite exhibit was the anti-tobacco stations because she got to see what smoking does to the human lung.
"I learned that when you smoke, it does really bad stuff to your lungs," McRae said.
Ten-year-old Maddie Carroll enjoyed visiting the fitness stations where she learned how to exercise properly.
"I play sports and I like to exercise," Carroll said.
Eight-year-old Lila Harrod also liked the fitness stations because exercising helps build strength.
"I learned that it builds up your muscles and it helps you live longer," Harrod said.
Stephanie McRae, principal at Ephesus Elementary and Maggie's mother, was impressed with how well Friday's exhibit went.
"I think it’s come together very well," McRae said. "There are resources that Tanner has available that we certainly wouldn’t be able to do as a school system so this is good for our kids."
Cindy Harrod, Lila's mother, was also impressed with the exhibit.
"I think it’s really awesome," Harrod said. "The exhibits are really informational and set up really nice and neatly. The kids looked so engaged and so interested in it so I think it’s a wonderful thing to expose them to."
Megan Carroll, Maddie's mother, liked how the exhibit taught kids about portion control, the importance of exercise and the horrors of smoking.
"I think it’s a really good thing," Carroll said. "It keeps kids involved."
The Kids Exhibit is available for free to elementary and middle schools in Carroll, Haralson and Heard counties. Organizers hope to reach as many students as possible because so many children are overweight or obese, making them more likely to suffer from chronic diseases.
"The choices kids make now will have an impact on their future health," Mitchell said. "Making small changes like eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is one way to help kids reach their health goals."
For more information about the exhibit or to schedule an event at your school, call 770.812.9871 or visit www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.