Bengal education department to introduce lessons on obesity-prevention, healthy lifestyles
In order to raise awareness about obesity-prevention among students, the West Bengal Education Department has decided to introduce lessons in the school curriculum on the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles for addressing the health problem, a senior official said. The course will be implemented from the primary education level for which the disbursal of funds has already started, he said. Read here.
Teachers will be given training of yoga
Besides imparting theoretical knowledge, the curriculum would also highlight the practical aspect of tackling obesity such as the necessity of physical activity, regular measurement of certain parameters, and eating healthy food, the official said. Teachers will be taught to induce among students the habit of practicing yoga to prevent obesity. The teachers, in turn, will impart that in the students, he said.
All factors causing obesity to be included in curriculum: Official
"The lessons will explain the necessity of regularly monitoring certain parameters like blood pressure, blood sugar, and body weight. The first two factors have an intimate relation with obesity," said the official. "All these will be explained in the curriculum to raise the awareness level of the students, which will eventually help their parents know about the basic things about obesity," he said.
Department has already purchased stethoscope, sphygmomanometer
In fact, measurement of blood pressure, blood sugar, and body weight should be regularly done among school students, said the official. "The instruments for measuring these parameters will be bought by the schools from funds provided by the department, mainly meant for this purpose," he said. The department has already purchased sphygmomanometer (an instrument for measuring blood pressure) and stethoscope, he stated.
Physicians to teach teachers how to handle the instruments
Weighing machines, skinfold calipers for determining the state of obesity, and glucometer for measuring blood sugar have also been purchased, said the official. "The teachers will be trained by physicians in handling the instruments. They will also be taught about the impact of blood pressure, blood sugar and how obesity can be controlled or prevented through controlling food habits and regular exercising," he said.
Primary, upper-primary, secondary and higher-secondary institutions to be allotted funds
To carry out the curriculum activities in order to make students aware of healthy lifestyle, primary schools would get Rs. 3,000, upper primary institutions would receive Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 10,000 would be allotted to secondary and higher secondary schools, the official said.
