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Cooperative Extension Service |
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Agricultural
Experiment Station |
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4-H Programs
Life Skills
Evaluation
Dale Bumpers College
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2001 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
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Activity 1 - Have participants determine their BMI by following the instructions on Activity 1.
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Leader says:
A BMI above the healthy range is less healthy for most people, but it is possible to be above the "healthy weight" range and still be healthy if you have lots of muscle and little fat. You develop muscle through weight-bearing and strength-building exercise. Conversely, you can have a BMI in the "healthy" range and not be at your healthiest weight if you lead a sedentary lifestyle that leads to less muscle and more fat tissue. Also, if you are lean over most of your body, but store excess fat in your abdominal area, you may be at greater risk for certain diseases yet your weight might fall in the "healthy" range. There are lots of things to consider when determining whether you are healthy or not and weight is just one of them.
Excess weight is a risk factor for chronic disease, but there are several other risk factors. The more of these risk factors you have, the more likely you are to benefit from weight loss if you are overweight or obese. These risk factors include:
Stored fat in the abdomen. Excess fat in the abdominal area
is more of a health risk than excess fat in your thighs and hips. The risk
increases for a female with a waist circumference greater than 35 inches and
for a male with a waist greater than 40 inches.
A personal or family history of heart disease.
A male older than 45 years or a postmenopausal female.
Smoking cigarettes.
A sedentary lifestyle.
High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, diabetes.
Leader says:
Research shows us that the two lifestyle practices that lead to healthy weight are moderate calorie intake and regular physical activity. The Food Guide Pyramid shows you how much of different foods to include in your daily meals to get all the nutrient˝ your body needs without getting too many calories. If you follow the Food Guide Pyramid, you don’t need to count calories or focus on strict percentages of foods from major food groups.
Refer participants to "Food Guide Pyramid" handout. Briefly discuss the Food Guide Pyramid food groups (Grains, Vegetable, Fruit, Milk and Meat groups). Show participants that calorie needs differ depending on age, gender and activity level. Have participants use the table on page 2 of the handout to find the number of servings from each group that is right for them.
Leader introduces Activity 2.
Leader says:
In order to decide what changes we might need to make in our diets, we need to look at how we are eating now. Activity 2 will help participants take a good look at their current diets and suggest changes they might need to make to improve their diets.
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Activity 2 – "How Much Are You Eating?" Have participants list all of the foods and beverages they have consumed in the past 24 hours on the "How Much Are You Eating?" activity sheet following instructions on the sheet. It will be easier to remember what they have eaten if participants start with the very last thing they had to eat and work backward to the same time the previous day. Make sure they record the amounts eaten for each food. The "Making Sense of Portion Sizes" handout might be helpful for this activity. Participants should compare what they had to eat and drink to the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid. Have participants think of changes they might make to make their diets healthier or to cut calories. |
Leader says:
A recently released study from the United States Department of Agriculture found that people on a moderate fat, high carbohydrate diet, as recommended by the Food Guide Pyramid, were most likely to maintain weight loss. The following tips can help participants reach and maintain a healthier weight. Refer to handout "Ten Tips for a Healthy Weight" for additional discussion of each tip.
Choose nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense foods.
Shrink your serving sizes.
Let the Food Guide Pyramid guide your choices.
Curb liquid calories.
Make movement part of your life.
Keep moving to keep from gaining.
Break exercise into shorter segments.
Find a friend.
Set realistic goals.
Think healthy, not skinny
Leader says:
Physical activity means the act of doing something – any voluntary body movement that burns calories whether slowly over a long period of time or fast and furious in just a few minutes. Exercise has been shown to have many health benefits including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and helping to decrease the risk of diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis. Exercise also improves mood and psychological well-being, enhances self esteem, and decreases stress, anxiety and depression. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that every American adult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Moderate activities will burn between 200 and 300 calories per hour for most people and generally will increase your heart rate by no more than 20-40 beats per minute.
Some moderate-intensity activities are:
Bicycling less than 10 miles an hour
Line, folk or ballroom dancing
Water aerobics
Brisk walking, 3-4 miles per hour
Fishing or hunting
Home repair
Gardening
Table tennis
Softball
Basketball, shooting baskets
Volleyball
Golf
Mowing the lawn, push power mower
Refer participants to the handout "Twelve Ways to Burn 150 Calories" and discuss fun activities they can choose to burn excess calories. Each activity will burn approximately 150 calories.
Leader says:
Before exercising, you should take the time to "warm up." Refer participants to the "ABCs of Stretching" handout. Encourage participants to use the stretching exercises on the handout during the first five minutes of their exercise period. This will help gradually raise their heart rates and to stretch their muscles. They should also end their sessions the same way. This will help gradually lower their heart rates and help cool down their muscles. End your session by leading participants through the stretching exercises.
Additional Resources
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s
Reshape Yourself Program
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
USDA's Food and Nutrition Information Information Center Weight Control and Obesity Page
Rosemary Rodibaugh, Extension Nutrition Specialist
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© 2006 |
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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