CATCH
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What is CATCH?
It is a Coordinated School Health Program designed to prevent sedentary behavior, poor dietary choices, and tobacco use through changes at the elementary level. CATCH sought to determine if multi-component health promotion efforts targeting both children's behaviors and the school environment, including classroom curricula, food services modifications, physical education changes, and family reinforcement, would reduce chronic disease risk factors.
CATCH Components
CATCH builds an alliance of children, parents, teachers, and school staff to teach skills and behaviors associated with maintaining healthy lifestyles.
CATCH coordinates four component areas:- Physical Education - CATCH P.E. provides standard based physical education lessons to teach lifelong movement skills which blend both fun and fitness.
- School Nutrition - CATCH Eat Smart guides school cafeterias toward promoting a nutrition rich environment.
- Classroom - Go for Health, a cartoon-and peer-based curriculum, teaches healthy eating, daily physical activity and tobacco avoidance habits that prevent chronic disease.
- Family - At home, the health message children learn in school are reinforced with interactive and enjoyable Home Team activities. The school community is brought together through CATCH Family Fun Nights hosted at school.
CATCH Tip for the Month:
Students need at least three servings of dairy products a day. Try fruit smoothies, cheese as a snack or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.
Yum!
Websites:
American Dental Association Mouth Healthy www.mouthhealthy.org
National PTA www.pta.org
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov