I just completed my final studio project on teenagers and obesity. I started www.foodglee.com to accompany a series of posters that I created to educate teens about healthy choices and obesity in America. With the help of a QR code driving an audience to the site,  I want to encourage kids to make small changes in their daily life and highlight healthy versus unhealthy choices.

I am working with teenagers and partnering with local New York public schools to hang my posters and survey the kids about healthy foods and nutrition.  Specifically I chose to work with teens because they are at a critical juncture in their lives and I wanted to have a direct impact on them before they go off and make their own decisions without guidance from their parents.

I surveyed and talked to the 9th grade students while they were eating lunch at the Legacy School on 14th st between 5th and 6th Ave. I sat in on a 9th grade math class and shared my project with the class and several teachers. I then accompanied the students to their cafeteria and approached all the tables to get feedback about my topic. I interviewed an 11th grade student from the Eximius College Prep Academy and heard her thoughts about obesity, diabetes, and fitness in the USA. The school is in the Bronx, NY. It was fascinating to compare the 11th grader to 6th graders who told me that their school doesn’t talk about health and nutrition that much.

The information presented on foodglee.com was as a result of extensive research I completed. Over several weeks I talked to statisticians, dietitians, nutritionists, and read many articles about overweight kids written by key industry experts.

In the future i would like to hand out activity postcards showing kids ways to stay active. I would also like to illustrate good choices and alternatives in a visual postcard the kids can take home and show their families. In the meantime, I am waiting to hear back from Michelle Obama as I wrote her a letter a couple weeks ago seeking her support for foodglee.com. In the letter I asked if she could mention my project on her Facebook page or letsmove.gov page. I am patiently awaiting a response and I am hopeful.

Here is my final presentation in two parts because the file is so large. Presentation-Foodglee-Part1-OPT and Presentation-Foodglee-Part2-OPT and the FoodGlee-Final Paper

Happy Holidays!