It’s possible that school is killing us.

Teen health has become a major focus recently, and not all of the news is good. Many people believe that American teenagers are going downhill healthwise.

“It’s really poor,” Health teacher Collette Clemens said on teen health. “Overall, as a generation, teens have horrible eating habits.”

Although family life and personal choices affect them, teens may find their well-being impacted by school as well.

During an “A” day lunch, 50 students were surveyed on multiple health-related topics. The results were interesting and, in many cases, alarming.

Nutrition-

Teenagers either have gone or are going through puberty, and most of them are still growing. As the body builds bones and tissues, it requires more nutrients, especially protein, calcium, and iron.

Anyone who has looked at a food pyramid knows how hard it is to meet all of the requirements. It’s even harder when adequate food isn’t supplied.

Surveyed students were asked to rate their current diet on a scale from 1 (terrible) to 10 (extremely healthy). The average rating was 5.35. Although not terrible, this is hardly perfect.

“Parents don’t cook anymore,” Clemens said, explaining that many students eat lots of takeout instead of home cooked meals.

Schools can’t change what students eat at home, but they can provide healthy options during lunch. Clemens pointed out that the cafeteria already does. Selections like salads, fresh fruit, and sandwiches are always available. The students just don’t eat them.

“If you set teens in front of a plate of pizza rolls or a banana, they’re going to choose the pizza rolls,” Clemens said.

She believes the only way to insure healthy choices in the students is to get rid of unhealthy options.

Sleep-

“I’m not getting enough sleep.”

How often does a student groan something along those lines? It’s recommended for teens to get 9.25 hours of sleep per night, although 8.5 is usually adequate. According to the National Sleep Foundation [NSF], sufficient sleep helps students eat better, manage stress, and concentrate. Tired students are forgetful, get sick more often, and are more prone to depression. Out of the surveyed students, only 10 percent reported getting at least 8.5 hours of sleep on weekday nights, with 46 percent on weekends.

For some students, cutting sleep to study or finish homework may seem like the only option. However, they often end up shooting themselves in the foot. Lack of sleep makes homework even more difficult, launching them into a vicious cycle. The NSF suggests making sleep a priority. If students have trouble sleeping, they should try maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Avoiding activity right before bed, doing something calming, and going to sleep at the same time every night helps people fall asleep faster and stay asleep.

Part of the problem lies in sleeping patterns. Naturally, teens tend to go to sleep later and wake later. Unfortunately, most need to be up by six a.m. or earlier to get to school on time.

The NSF reports that schools with later start times tend to have better student attendance, alertness, and moods. It’s probably not practical to change the school start time. However, teachers could at least encourage students to make sure they get enough sleep every night. No matter how it seems, some things are more important than homework.

Exercise/Sedentary Living-

Unless students are in PE, they spend most of their school day sitting. Their legs might fall asleep, but it’s no big deal, right?

Wrong. Sedentary living – spending a lot of time sitting rather than moving around – has been determined to be very unhealthy. Obviously, if a person is sitting, they’re not getting exercise. The CDC recommends an hour of physical activity daily, and lack of exercise can increase chances of developing cancer, heart disease, or respiratory problems.

Even the act of sitting is bad for you. The body is meant to move around, and humans have evolved to stand upright. Like a computer switching to a screen saver, if a human sits too long, their metabolic processes will slowly shut down. Studies have suggested that simply sitting too much can lead to an earlier death.

In a world where everything is digital, many people practically live in a sitting position. They sit in school all day, come home, sit at the computer to do their homework, and then unwind by sitting in front of the TV. Students surveyed reported an average of 4.28 hours per day spent sitting down outside of school – a disturbing amount considering the implications on their health.

What can students do about it? Fortunately, just fidgeting (called ‘active sitting’) or standing up once in a while helps. People with occupations that require sitting are encouraged to take active breaks every half hour, walking around or stretching for a few minutes before resuming activities.

Not every class can be PE, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask teachers to instruct students while they run laps.

Instead, teachers could consider taking breaks every half hour or so, allowing students to stretch or get a drink. In addition to breaking up long stretches of inactivity, this would allow students to rest and come back more alert.

Unless students are in PE, they spend most of their school day sitting. Their legs might fall asleep, but it’s no big deal, right?

Wrong. Sedentary living – spending a lot of time sitting rather than moving around – has been determined to be very unhealthy. Obviously, if a person is sitting, they’re not getting exercise. The CDC recommends an hour of physical activity daily, and lack of exercise can increase chances of developing cancer, heart disease, or respiratory problems.

Even the act of sitting is bad for you. The body is meant to move around, and humans have evolved to stand upright. Like a computer switching to a screen saver, if a human sits too long, their metabolic processes will slowly shut down. Studies have suggested that simply sitting too much can lead to an earlier death.

In a world where everything is digital, many people practically live in a sitting position. They sit in school all day, come home, sit at the computer to do their homework, and then unwind by sitting in front of the TV. Students surveyed reported an average of 4.28 hours per day spent sitting down outside of school – a disturbing amount considering the implications on their health.

What can students do about it? Fortunately, just fidgeting (called ‘active sitting’) or standing up once in a while helps. People with occupations that require sitting are encouraged to take active breaks every half hour, walking around or stretching for a few minutes before resuming activities.

Not every class can be PE, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask teachers to instruct students while they run laps.

Instead, teachers could consider taking breaks every half hour or so, allowing students to stretch or get a drink. In addition to breaking up long stretches of inactivity, this would allow students to rest and come back more alert.

What can we do?

Teens aren’t oblivious to the problem. 40 percent of surveyed students admitted they didn’t believe they were living a healthy lifestyle. While filling out the survey, multiple students commented that it made them feel bad or realize how unhealthy they really were.

If schools make changes, they can help a little. However, teens must take the steps themselves to improve their health. It’s up to the individual to exercise more, eat better, sit less, and make sure they sleep a decent amount.

Clemens said that teens need to take a more overall focus. They’ll eat well or exercise one day and use that as an excuse to eat badly or sit around the next. “You need a whole life change,” Clemens said.

Health isn’t something that can be ignored. Students’ decisions about diet and exercise now, will affect the rest of their lives, so it’s important they choose wisely.

What do students think?

“I think kids should really pay more attention to what they eat, specifically at school.” – Anonymous

“Teen health is like soccer: there are the athletes, and then there are the bystanders in the bleachers. You just have to figure out which group you’re in.” – Jennifer Elpert, 10

“Teens do not get enough sleep – that ruins their diet and causes behavior problems in school.” – Anonymous

“You only have one body and you have to treat it right.” – Holden Vitt, 12

“America: cheese, football, sitting, being fat.” – Anonymous