The school-based Planet Health Program was developed by researchers at the Harvard Center for Children’s Health with support from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through a variety of classes, the interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on increasing activity and improving dietary quality for 4th through 8th grade students as part of regular classroom teaching and physical education. For example, calculating the fat content of sample foods is covered in math, energy conversion from food is taught in science, and the effect of fast food industry advertising is examined in social studies. The curriculum is designed to integrate easily into existing classes using grade- and subject-appropriate skills and competencies.
Planet Health strives to reduce obesity among boys and girls by targeting four objectives:
Lesson preparation materials include procedures, reproducible handouts, homework activities, teacher and student resources, and behavioral and learning objectives.
The Planet Health Program also features:
Planet Health is a tested intervention with curriculum materials measured for readability by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
