Obesity is on the rise among teens and pre-teens as a result of todays lifestyles, with many children spending too much time in front of the computer or TV and eating unhealthy foods. Growing concern about this problem within the medical and education communities in south Palm Beach County has initiated one potential solution a new educational program to teach kids about heart healthy eating and lifestyle habits that they can embrace before they hit their teen years.
“Heart of the Matter,” a summer class attended by fifteen kids, was a solution devised by physicians at The Center for Cardiac Disease and Health Promotion at FAUs Charles E. Schmidt Biomedical Science Center in Boca Raton in partnership with PBCC Summer Youth College. Key to the program was utilizing “Harvey,” the patient mannequin, an interactive cardiac teaching tool provided by major gifts from The Quantum Foundation and Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach. “Harvey,” used by FAU to sharpen medical students cardiology skills, is also being made available to community organizations and colleges throughout the county as well as to the police and fire departments for paramedic training. The curriculum of the 5-week pilot program for 8-12 year olds was under the direction of Dr. Ira J. Gelb, clinical professor and director of clinical programming at FAUs Charles E. Schmidt College of Science (CESCoS). “Todays children are more at risk than ever before to develop heart disease,” said Dr. Gelb, a noted cardiologist, “They are more sedentary and they gravitate to foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates, setting them up for future bad habits and health problems. Weve been looking for a way to address this problem, and the PBCC Youth College, combined with the gift of Harvey, gave us the perfect opportunity.” During the weekly classes led by Dr. Mark Libow, Dr. Robert H. Blanks and Dr. Xupei Huang, the kids had fun learning about such topics as the anatomy of the heart, how the heart functions, why you need a healthy heart and how to make healthy life choices. This program also included two classes with “Harvey,” that gave the kids a chance to use stethoscopes to “examine” the patient. They also learned through playing games and using artistic creativity, such as food collages, about the importance of nutrition and exercise in order to live a healthy life. What was “Heart of the Matters” prescription for success? Fifteen kids, an interactive patient mannequin, and a faculty with a humorous and creative way of presenting lessons, all providing the giggle factor that made it fun to deliver heart healthy information in a palatable way. On Monday, July 25, the students attended their last “Heart of the Matter” class. It focused on the rhythm of the heart and music, which included comparing “Harveys” heart sounds to musical instruments provided by FAUs music department. Each child also had a chance to hear the sound of their own blood flowing through their veins. The graduation, that included presentation of certificates of completion, took place at FAUs Charles E. Schmidt Biomedical Science Center. In attendance were senior faculty members including Dr. Nathan Dean, dean of FAU CESCoS, Dr. Dwight Warren, vice dean, Biomedical Science, Dr. Michael Friedland, senior associate dean of Biomedical Science, Dr. Stuart Markowitz, assistant dean for Medical Student Affairs, and members of the Quantum Foundation Board of Trustees, Dr. Marshall Faulk and Dr. Maria Vallego, provost of PBCC/Lake Worth, The kids left the class prepared to live a high performance life!
