Virtual Workshop Information

Food and Fitness from NSBRI, funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute through a cooperative agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, offers teachers and students an opportunity to explore research that uncovers ways to reduce space-related health problems through diet, exercise or rehabilitation, which will contribute to the development of prevention and treatment programs for osteoporosis and other bone disorders, muscle wasting diseases and many other illnesses. 

Food and Fitness begins with an informative presentation on Adolescent Nutrition. Seven classroom activities are demonstrated in this online workshop, helping students examine techniques to make life-long healthy meal and activity choices, such as determining the proper serving size, understanding food labels, and assessing proper nutritional and exercise choices. Description of all of the activities, including reproducible pages for students, can be downloaded in PDF format.

The information contained in this publication is intended solely to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of health care topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should in no way be taken to be used in place of a visit, call, consultation, or advice of a physician or other health care provider. The information obtained from this publication is not exhaustive and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions or their treatments. Call or see a physicians or other health care provider promptly for any health care-related questions.

The activities described in this presentation are intended for school-age children under direct supervision of adults. The authors, Baylor  College of Medicine (BCM) and the NSBRI cannot be responsible for any accidents or injuries that may result from conduct of the activities, from not specifically following directions, or from ignoring cautions contained in the presentation. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressive in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of BCM, NASA, or the NSBRI.

Upon completion of this virtual workshop, participants should be able to:

• quantify the growth of yeast when it is given sugar as a food source;
• compare the energy released as heat from two different food types;
• estimate their average daily energy (Calorie) needs;
• estimate serving sizes of different foods and compare their estimates to serving size information provided on nutritional facts food labels;
• list their individual eating habits and compare those eating habits to standard recommendations for a healthy diet; and identify healthy eating habits to meet special needs, such as for athletes, diabetics, and vegetarians.

This virtual workshop is designed to meet the continuing professional development educational needs of science teachers.

All professional development contact hours must be approved by a teacher's employer, however, the Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine is approved by the State Board of Educator Certification in Texas as a provider of Continuing Professional Development Education.

The Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine designates this virtual workshop for a maximum of 2 contact hours of Professional Development.  

Food and Fitness was reviewed with the help of Joanne Lupton PhD, Michael Grusak PhD, Helen W. Lane PhD, and Barbara Rice PhD. The field test involved 42 teachers and 810 students. In addition, 380 teachers have participated in workshop presentations.

Nancy Moreno, PhD
Associate Director, Center for Educational Outreach
Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

The professional education material presented in this virtual workshop is for use by science educators. The Center for Educational Outreach makes every effort to have activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and educationally relevant. Information and opinions offered by the contributors represent their viewpoints. The participant should rely on professional judgment and safety regulations in his or her school and make decisions as to whether the demonstrated activities are appropriate for his or her teaching situation and students.

Links are provided to other Internet sites solely for the convenience of the user. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use including the copyright and licensing restrictions.

This virtual workshop is supported by an educational grant from National Space Biomedical Research Institute. Established in 1997 through a NASA competition, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute is a consortium of 12 institutions working to prevent or solve health problems related to long-duration space travel and prolonged exposure to microgravity. The group's primary mission objective is to ensure safe and productive human space flight. NSBRI discoveries and research will lead to countermeasures to the harmful effects of microgravity and space radiation, and, at the same time, bring discoveries and products of clinical benefit to mankind on Earth, enhancing treatments for conditions such as osteoporosis, muscle wasting, shift-related sleep disorders and radiation-related conditions. The Institute also is researching ways to deliver medical care on these missions through new technologies and remote-treatment advances..