Jacob's walk

Jacob proudly showed me his lunch which consisted of a sandwich, low-fat yogurt, some pine nuts and milk.  It made me wonder how a sweet kid with such an awareness of what he was eating could still be struggling so much with weight issues.  Jacob continues to gain weight despite teachers walking/jogging with him once a day during activity period and nutritionist providing interventional education for him.  His parents suffer from weight related disease. 
Going into the gym the P.E. coach proudly announces Jacob having completed five laps during the previous 20 minute activity period.  This is a feat for a boy who hated the idea of running much less running a mile or more.  Today Jacob is competitive and feeling good about his prospects.  He asks me who the fastest mile runner is and I point out a small boy playing soccer. Jacob starts up his jog and begins a very rhythmic and controlled breathing pattern. "Jacob! Who taught you that?" "Mrs. Body." Awesome.  Everyone in the school seems to be invested in Jacob's health.  This is the best potential school situation for a kid struggling with such issues.  As we run and near the end Jacob stretches out his hands and says he's reaching for the candy! Imaginary candy but a real motivation for Jacob to pull himself toward the end.
As much as Jacob has learned to monitor and motivate himself, he still struggles to be consistent in his choices. At how mom and dad don't come home until late after which Jacob has snacked all evening from hunger.  Even at 10pm, Jacob will wake up at his mother's arrival and go to the kitchen to get some of her homemade food.  His cousins and the people around him chose to be sedentary rather than be active outside even when Jacob suggests it.  He has a long road to travel. Hopefully, he can use the memories and encouragement to continue to fuel his quest toward a healthier lifestyle.

Age and reason

This Spring Break I visited a sixth grade student with a welcoming and bubbly personality.  She enthusiastically greeted me at the gate to her home a small puppy in tow.  Her mom let us know how she was failing to complete her homework in seemingly a new "distracted" phase of life.  Her little brother stood in contrast as he had already made progress in his math homework, which was part of his Spring Break Homework Packet.  Unfortunately, older sister showed us her assignments as would be due upon return to school but she had not begun any.  I spoke her about the importance of pacing and completing one's work over time so that she wouldn't struggle with being overwhelmed.  The younger brother proudly demonstrated his commitment and his achievement thus far.  Though there can be jeering among siblings, I tried to use his enthusiasm to motivate the distracted student by making it competitive.  The kids seemed to enjoy someone taking interest in them  and their school work and coming to visit over the break.  The introduced me to each of their dogs and even brought out a game of Candyland before the end of the visit.  I reflect on the importance of having someone to serve as a model and mentor figure even outside of your parents who are the initial and most influential model for children.  Students can benefit from someone older to hear their concerns and to help organize their work and study habits.

Walk/Jog

As we walk and jog outside before lunch begins, I realize that Jacob appreciates this time to be able to not only share some time with adults who all strive to act as role models to him but also to express himself.  He talks about his interests and I learn how these things are very much shaped by environment.  He likes playing games indoors and out but when his cousin insists that they spend all afternoon attached to the TV playing video games, Jacob's suggestion to run outside go unheard.  Jacob talks about efforts to change his eating and physical activity habits but his day is organized around remaining sedentary and eating fried/fast/junk food.  He's aware but is not in direct control of his environment.  I almost feel bad making suggestions that I begin to see as unrealistic.  How can I hold out a goal that is outside of one's control to achieve?  Then again, if I don't set a high standard, how will he even begin to work toward a healthier lifestyle.  We finish our two laps around the soccer field and join the others at lunch. I let Jacob know that I am proud but that I also expect to see him eating the right portions of the food groups that we had discussed. 

Activity Period and Home Visits

After today's home visits, in which I traveled with a co-worker to our students' homes, I have new insight into the many advantages/disadvantages our students face in their lives.  As we traveled to provide health information and collect measurements from the parents participating in our study, I was introduced to many of Houston's neighborhood's that I had yet to see. The communities were gated in a different sense than the one's in other parts of town.  Homes had high fences or grates over windows and doors and some plots included several houses enclosed within a large area, "Family Villages," as the sign said.  Some homes were small and well kept with new paint and items well cared for while others were lacking even the most basic components seemed to be degrading, for example missing pieces of the ceiling or wall.  In each home we entered, we encountered parents concerned for the well being of their child more than that of their own while our job is to help ensure their own health for the sake and benefit of the child -such an interesting contrast.

I know this perspective will motivate me to encourage and educate the children through the means that I find available.

I think back to Jacob whom I visited weeks earlier during his activity period. He was jumping rope with friends.  They are all well educated not to tease him for his weight and responded appropriately giving everyone their fair turn.  The difficulty is that once a child doesn't experience success, they seem to soon abandon a task.  After attempting to jump rope a few times, Jacob and his friends decided to go sit to talk.  I offered to turn the rope for them but they were disinterested.  I'm thinking of new activities to engage Jacob even if they are rather simple...

Looking forward...

I am anticipating working with the Yes Prep North Central students on a deeper, more personal level.  I expect that I can offer them new insight into the way science touches their lives and what that could mean for their careers and their life paths.  I am grateful for the initial relationships I've developed with the children and their parents that have allowed me to see the difficulty but also willingness of some to make consistent changes in their lifestyle in order to improve their health.  The obesity prevention program, which has linked me to and provided me access to the school, has given me new insight into a community and a context different from the one in which I grew up and from the one in which I now live.