Health and Nutrition
Physical Education is more than just running
and playing games. In our PE classroom, I teach the students healthy behaviors
that will last them a lifetime. I hope to give them an appreciation for being
physically active and a desire to make healthful decisions. According to the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity prevalence of children
ages 6-11 has increased to 17%, check out the article here.
This is a statistic that can be reversed through increased physical activity
and education about the right/healthy foods to eat.
In class this year we will cover topics such as BMI, Heart Rate, and nutrition. We would never use any of these tests or measurements to compare student to student, or would I ever release any sensitive information to the rest of the class. During our discussions of these topics, we discuss why everyone is different and why it is important to know our weight. Below you can find information about each of these:
In class this year we will cover topics such as BMI, Heart Rate, and nutrition. We would never use any of these tests or measurements to compare student to student, or would I ever release any sensitive information to the rest of the class. During our discussions of these topics, we discuss why everyone is different and why it is important to know our weight. Below you can find information about each of these:
Body Mass Index (BMI)
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).1, 2 BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
Is BMI interpreted the same way for children and teens as it is for adults?
Although the BMI number is calculated the same way for children and adults, the criteria used to interpret the meaning of the BMI number for children and teens are different from those used for adults. For children and teens, BMI age- and sex-specific percentiles are used for two reasons:
•The amount of body fat changes with age.
•The amount of body fat differs between girls and boys.
Because of these factors, the interpretation of BMI is both age- and sex-specific for children and teens. The CDC BMI-for-age growth charts take into account these differences and allow translation of a BMI number into a percentile for a child's sex and age.
For adults, on the other hand, BMI is interpreted through categories that are not dependent on sex or age.
How is BMI calculated and interpreted for children and teens?
Calculating and interpreting BMI using the BMI Percentile Calculator involves the following steps:
1. Before calculating BMI, obtain accurate height and weight measurements. See Measuring Children's Height and Weight Accurately At Home.
2. Calculate the BMI and percentile using the Child and Teen BMI Calculator. The BMI number is calculated using standard formulas.
3. Review the calculated BMI-for-age percentile and results. The BMI-for-age percentile is used to interpret the BMI number because BMI is both age-and sex-specific for children and teens. These criteria are different from those used to interpret BMI for adults — which do not take into account age or sex. Age and sex are considered for children and teens for two reasons:
- The amount of body fat changes with age. (BMI for children and teens is often referred to as BMI-for-age.)
- The amount of body fat differs between girls and boys.
4. Find the weight status category for the calculated BMI-for-age percentile as shown in the following table. These categories are based on expert committee recommendations.
See the following example of how some sample BMI numbers would be interpreted for a 10-year-old boy.
Heart Rate
Students will learn about their heart rate and why it is
useful to know, especially when we are exercising.
Student will be able to locate two places to find their pulse (wrist and neck) and how to count it. Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Instead of counting for one minute, Mr. McCracken's classes count for six seconds and then multiply the number we counted by ten to get our heart rate.
For Example: If we counted 15 beats in six seconds our heart rate for one minute would be=
15 beats x 10 = 150 beats per minute
Student will be able to locate two places to find their pulse (wrist and neck) and how to count it. Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Instead of counting for one minute, Mr. McCracken's classes count for six seconds and then multiply the number we counted by ten to get our heart rate.
For Example: If we counted 15 beats in six seconds our heart rate for one minute would be=
15 beats x 10 = 150 beats per minute