School Health Programs Should Exercises Increase and Caffeine Decrease
As national obesity rates continue to rise, numerous Americans are being plagued with insufferable impairments such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Not only are adults being forced to endure these ailments, but even children are developing atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and similar diseases at an alarming rate.
In order to stifle the climb in child obesity rates and improve the health of future generations, one strategy that should be emphasized is the implementation of school health programs. By increasing exercise and decreasing caffeine intake of students, these health programs can have profound effects on the well-being of today’s children.
The Effects of Exercise on Caloric Equilibrium
One aspect of school health programs that is absolutely critical in order to improve the physical well-being of students is an increase in exercise. One reason that an increase in fitness is particularly valuable is due to its effects on caloric equilibrium.
Excess weight gain is a result of too many calories being consumed, and one of the easiest strategies for inducing a caloric deficit or preventing a caloric surplus is to increase energy expenditure through physical activity. Even as little as 100 calories per day of exercise can potentially prevent 10 pounds of fat gain per year.
Not only can physical exercise increase energy expenditure, but it may also be able to decrease the amount of calories that students consume. Exercise increases leptin sensitivity, and an increase in leptin sensitivity can cause students to feel full more easily. By increasing the amount of satiety provided by food, students may eat less and decrease their risks for obesity even further.
The Effects of Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity
Along with preventing a caloric surplus, another powerful effect of exercise is to improve insulin sensitivity. Diabetes is an insidious disease characterized by excess insulin resistance, and if left untreated, can lead to devastating effects on one’s health. Fortunately, because exercise leads to significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, an increase in physical activity is one of the most effective methods for preventing diabetes.
The Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Function
In addition to preventing obesity and diabetes, an increase in physical activity can also have a positive impact on the ability of students to learn. During exercise, a compound known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced in large quantities. This potent compound helps stimulate the formation of new neurons and synapses in the brain and can greatly increase cognitive skills.
By increasing physical activity, more BDNF will become available to students during class, which can greatly improve their ability to learn. In fact, many studies have found that increasing students’ physical activity causes dramatic improvements in grades and test scores. For students who have difficulty focusing or learning new concepts, increasing exercise can be highly beneficial.
The Effects of Caffeine on Focus
Along with increasing exercise, another priority of school health programs should be to decrease students’ caffeine intake. Those who rely heavily on caffeine in order to perform during class often suffer from impaired cognitive function.
Although some students may find an acute increase in focus immediately following caffeine consumption, this effect wears off relatively quickly and results in significantly impaired focus throughout the remainder of the day. By decreasing students’ caffeine intake, many will be able to pay attention in class more easily.
The Effects of Caffeine on Sleep
Another reason that caffeine is particularly unfavorable is due to its detrimental effects on sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to chronically elevated levels of glucorticoids, making it significantly difficult to learn and perform well. Numerous studies have found that the more sleep one receives at night, the better one does in school.
Unfortunately, consuming large amounts of caffeine is incredibly harmful for ensuring adequate sleep at night. In order to improve sleep quality, it is essential that students decrease their intake of caffeine.
Implementation
Although many may argue that increasing the exercise and decreasing the caffeine intake of students is impossible, the reality is that implementing a basic school health program is not difficult. In order to increase physical activity, younger students could be required to engage in a “recess” period, whereas older students could be required to either join a sport or enroll in a physical education class.
In order to decrease caffeine intake, one of the easiest strategies would be to impose a restriction on the sale of caffeinated beverages in school. Additionally, students could be banned from bringing in their own sodas from home, which would drastically decrease the amount of caffeine consumed.
Overall, increasing exercise and decreasing caffeine intake in children is not an overwhelming task, and can provide a plethora of benefits to their health and future. For those who value the health of America’s youth, few options are more favorable than implementing effective school health programs.