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Schools

Forum Addresses Young People's Attitudes on Health

Northville High School students seek a wellness committee to help students make more healthful choices.

Robert Hsu said he thinks has a lot of healthful choices on its lunch menu, but many students don't know how to make the right choices.

In a forum he created on the topic of healthful food and schools, the 18-year-old is adding student voices to the growing debate about the role of schools in the nutritional health of students.

“I just think that there’s not a lot of information about health, and I think we as students don’t get a chance to talk about the things that affect us,” Hsu said at Wednesday evening's Northville Health Youth Forum.

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“If the adults, teachers and administrators aren’t aware of what we think about the food and exercise options we have, then it’s going to be hard to make changes,” he said.

With help of a five-student panel, Hsu moderated the 90-minute event, which included questions about media images, healthful foods, the role of exercise and the differences in how boys and girls view fitness.

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The goal of the forum, said Hsu, was to encourage the to implement a permanent student wellness committee that would work with administrators and teachers to devise a more healthful lunch menu, implement more effective gym classes and increase gym requirements at the schools.

“Many of us are going to be leaving here soon,” said Hsu, a senior. “We’d like to know that something will be in place.”

Robin Bolitho, the school’s food service manager, said that although Hsu's presentation was impressive, there would be no changes to the menu based on his suggestions. Besides Bolitho, no other Northville High school officials attended the forum.

She did say she may try to label more foods with nutritional information because students seemed to respond to that.

Viewpoints at the forefront

The student panel addressed several questions posed by Hsu; other questions were directed at the audience.

Panelists shared their opinions on the media and how it influences body image and the perception of health.

“I think that the media shows some standards that are impossible to maintain, and it makes girls believe they need to be really skinny,” said panelist Harleen Kaur.

Other questions focused on the role of peers and how they influence exercise and nutritional choices.

“I’m lucky to have friends that understand my choices, even if they think I’m crazy,” said Rachael Childs, a vegetarian.

How boys and girls view health and fitness differently was also explored.

“For males, you see them eat something that is high in calories, but then you see them pumping iron in the gym later,” said Marisa Sourges. “But then you see girls picking at their food because they may not be able to go to the gym later.”

Universally, the panel praised the district’s decision to have nutritional information posted with some foods in the cafeteria. But others called for boosting the district’s gym requirements: a semester for four years in high school.

Hsu, who said he plans to attend Harvard University or the University of Pennsylvania after he graduates in June, said he hopes students can disconnect their ideas about health and fitness from surface concerns, such athletic performance and personal appearance, and make better choices.

“The schools can help students make better decisions,” he said. “This can help create a healthier student body.”

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