“Give  a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll eat for the rest of his life. ”

With school just around the corner it’s essential to make sure that our children are rested and nourished properly. All kids – teens, especially – need to consume the right nutrients to make their brains function properly. Instilling healthy eating habits early in their lives is paramount to their success. Doctors say although there are no guarantees, doing this while they are young promises healthier outcomes for them as teens.

The Philadelphia based Food Trust  is a non-profit organization that serves as a think tank and advisor for the Philadelphia School District. It offers several informational programs to teach young people to both grow and cook healthy foods.  Several schools have teamed up with the Food Trust to teach young people how to make better decisions about their foods.

“The U.S. spends twice as much money on health care than any other nation, but the state of our health just doesn’t measure up,” says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who finds these stats very troubling.  She also says that educating consumers about preventable maladies like childhood obesity are also on the President’s front-burner. The health-care overhaul must also include more preventive measures like teaching people – the young in particular – to  overcome their sedentary lifestyles and eat healthier.

When first lady Michelle Obama broke ground for the new 1,100-square-foot White House Victory Garden on the first day of spring, she inspired a new influx of community gardens across the country. It reminded me of my childhood summers spent in Ossining, N.Y., where my grandparents had fruit trees and a massive vegetable garden, where we’d help out in the summer.  Choosing dinner and picking it at night gave each of us a sense of responsibility for what went on the table and helped shape my appreciation for feeding my family fresh (as opposed to canned or frozen) vegetables.

Americans, who are among the fattest people on the planet, suffer from many preventable diseases because we eat far too much steroid-infused meat and not enough fresh, live food.  Organic produce at the supermarket often costs five times as much as chemically treated veggies. Besides, nothing can replace the taste of food that you picked just hours before it reaches the table.

By setting an example for the nation, the Obamas are inspiring Americans to become more self-sufficient and health-conscious. And teaching people how to better care for their families by growing their own food contributes to sustainability and will eventually help reduce the nation’s health-care burden.

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