Wellness Week at Bay High encourages healthy living

Students at Bay High School launched into an intensive week focused on healthy eating and exercise by listening to Dr. Michael Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, co-founder and chair of the RealAge, Inc., and co-author of the popular series of health books that began with “YOU: The Owner’s Manual,” tell students what really happens inside their bodies when they choose the wrong foods.

Roizen showed students compelling animated video that illustrated how blood cholesterol and glucose (sugar) interact to create damage inside the body’s blood vessels. He discussed healthy food choices and the importance of exercise.

"I'm even more nervous talking to you today than I was when I first appeared on Oprah," he joked, explaining that he knew their age group tended to feel immortal. "You have the best opportunity to live long, healthy lives because you have time – you can commit to the healthiest lifestyle choices now and avoid the physical damage that comes with poor choices."

He asked students to focus on avoiding harmful substances in their lives and diets, including saturated fat, hydrogenated oils and trans fats, sugar and high fructose corn syrup, processed white flour products, and tobacco.

"The Cleveland Clinic has banned tobacco from its campus," he reported, "and it has eliminated those unhealthy foods from its dining services."

Roizen made an impression on senior Joey Baldridge. "I am considering eliminating pop from my diet," he said, noting that Dr. Roizen had highlighted bottled sodas as a primary source of extra calories and high fructose corn syrup.

Senior Greg Conroy appreciated some of the large scale ideas presented by Roizen. "I was impressed with the strict, non-smoking hiring practice of the Cleveland Clinic that Dr. Roizen described," he said. "That took some courage, and they've probably played a major role in moving Cuyahoga County from an area with one of the highest in number of smokers to one of the lowest in Ohio."

Students had many other opportunities to assess their own fitness levels and sample healthy food and fun exercise choices throughout the week. Those who signed a pledge to walk 10,000 steps a day were given free pedometers. Many also participated in Zumba exercise, a self-defense class, yoga training for stress reduction and had their Body Mass Index measured.

A healthy breakfast was served in the school cafeteria, and free healthy food choices were available after school from providers including Trader Joe’s, Natures Bin, Liquid Planet, Robeks and Subway.

Bay High teachers Anita Bauknecht, instructor of family and consumer science, and Marian Harmount, enrichment resource instructor, organized the week’s events.

Karen Derby is the Public Information Officer for the Bay Village City School District.