Teen nutrition, health stressed

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Pizza, soda, hours in front of a television set or a computer screen, and other less-than-healthy habits may be a staple for many teens, but one group of students learned the importance of balance at the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation 21st annual Youth Congress.

"What the Health! An Inside Scoop on Exercise, Nutrition and Personal Management" was the topic at this year’s event. About 75 students from local schools attended the half-day workshop in April at the Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village. The day’s events included nutrition, exercise and yoga workshops.

The Future Foundation is a nonprofit think tank created 30 years ago to study the issues affecting community living. Each year, the organization sponsors the Youth Congress to give teens a chance to explore topics that are meaningful to their age group. This year, 22 students from local high schools planned and implemented the event.

Catherine Ngo, a senior at Thousand Oaks High School who chaired the event, said that the teen congress focused on health because "it’s one of the most important issues to ensure a better future."

The statistics are sobering. Half of all Americans are considered obese. With the steady rise in childhood obesity, future health risks—including diabetes and heart disease—are staggering. Ngo said that 16 percent of American adolescents are considered obese.

Joel Barr, a counselor at Agoura High School, said, "Not enough young people are doing things for the right reasons." He added that many teens make decisions based on the opinions of their peers. He advised teens to create balance in their lives based on their particular needs.

David Crawley and David Klein conducted breakout sessions on nutrition. Crawley, a health and fitness expert who runs GET FIT! Athletic Training in Westlake Village, warned students that they must discern whether the information bombarding them each day is legitimate. "There is so much hype and baloney out there," Crawley said. He warned students to look at television with a critical eye and know when they are being "sold" something.

Crawley explained that weight loss diets are often misleading. "There is no magic food, no magic machine," he told the audience. "If you take in more calories than you burn off, you will gain weight." Rather than adopt a low-carbohydrate diet, Crawley advised students to remove carbohydrates that have no nutrition and replace them with a "Garden of Eden" diet of fresh food including fruit, vegetables, whole grains and small portions of protein.

"We are the most overfed people on earth," Crawley said. He explained that 20 extra calories per day translates into 20 pounds within 10 years. Although Crawley isn’t a fast food fan, he suggested that if teenagers must have that Big Mac and fries, they should balance the rest of the day with fruit and whole grains. As for the common practice of skipping breakfast, Crawley said, "If you don’t eat it you’re a knucklehead."

Patsy Cappadona conducted an exercise workshop, while Paulette Dwyer demonstrated yoga techniques, explaining how yoga is a healthy activity for the body, mind and spirit. "Yoga can give you optimum health," Dwyer told students. She added that yoga has been proven to help people who suffer from insomnia, migraine headaches and digestive disorders. She said that yoga creates balance and is appropriate for people of any age and ability.

Stuart Selter, a business owner and active member of the Las Virgenes Education Foundation, presented "A Healthy Time," which emphasized personal management. Getting enough sleep was Selter’s top recommendation to the students. Sleep, Selter contended, is necessary to create enough energy to enjoy life and maintain a positive attitude.

"I believe you get personal time by making healthy decisions," Selter said. "Inaction and hesitation wears you out." He also recommended that students surround themselves with other healthy people, prioritize goals, meet commitments and "believe you can make every moment a very healthy moment, an important moment."

Shaaista Dulloo, a senior at Thousand Oaks High School, said she hoped that the focus on nutrition would motivate her to exercise and eat healthy on her own. Student representatives came from Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, La Reina, Westlake, Agoura, Oak Park and Calabasas high schools. The Future Foundation’s Danny Quisenberry served as adult advisor to this year’s Congress.

Over the years, Youth Congress has spurred a number of worthwhile projects in the area. The first Congress in 1985 resulted in the construction of the Thousand Oaks Teen Center. Members also formed an Inter-Community Student Council, which produced a wallet-size Teen Assist card that is available to teens at schools and other agencies.

For more information about Youth Congress contact Fran Brough, executive director of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation, at (818) 880-1054.