Houston is not regarded as a shining beacon of health and nutrition. Year after year we hold the unenviable title of “Fattest City in America.” But Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to change that, and we’re here to help as a local non-profit organization.
Over the past 12 years, HFR founder Samir Becic has been a leading voice in the mission to make Houstonians healthy. Our first priority is to improve nutrition, and especially to educate children on the importance of eating a healthy diet. That’s why we go to schools and educate children on the value of proper nutrition. But we need your help to continue our mission.
The Surprising Link Between Food & Learning
Nutrition and educational performance are intimately connected. For a while we assumed that the food was nothing more than energy that keeps children fueled up to get through the day. Recent breakthroughs in molecular biology reveal that the link between the two runs much deeper.
Research by Dr. Gomez-Pinilla, a neuroscientist and UCLA professor of physiological science, paints a strong link between diet and cognitive ability. Gomez-Pinilla’s researchproves that children who eat a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (found in healthy foods) improve memory and learning, having a positive correlation with improved reading, spelling, and classroom behavior. Conversely, the trans fat common in the junk foods haunting American cafeterias negatively affect cognition, “increasing the risk of neurological dysfunction.”
The good doctor’s suggestion? Feed children a healthier diet.
A Growing Epidemic
Unfortunately, that’s a task that is easier said than done. The food industry, and sugar and beverage companies in particular, are willing to do anything to get their products into the hands of children. That includes funding misleading research and lobbying politicians.
The result of this reckless manipulation? Increased learning disorders and a public health crisis, as 1/3 of American children are now overweight or obese. The childhood obesity epidemic has caused an explosion in type 2 diabetes in children. In 1994 only 5% of type 2 diagnosis were children. Now 20% of all type 2 diabetes diagnoses are children.
This needs to stop. Health Fitness Revolution helps by educating children to make the right nutritional choices. We teach them that eating healthy can be fun and lifesaving. Many children receive no nutrition education, so Samir’s energetic and informative seminars empower them to make choices that could save their lives. But we need your help. Donate to help us increase our capacity to enact change.
Here are some of our events to promote health and nutrition across Houston:
