Evidence-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs.

Positive Action doesn’t just tell students to be healthy and happy, it teaches them how. To combat obesity, many programs use extrinsic discipline, which focuses on correcting the behavior as it occurs. The intrinsic discipline learned through Positive Action prevents obesity before it occurs.

Numerous lessons in the program focus on teaching students how to take care of their bodies properly. Lessons on exercise, eating well, decision-making and getting enough sleep and rest teach students how these choices will help them achieve peak performance.

Introducing positive physical actions helps students learn the significance of caring for their physical health: how vital it is to get up and exercise, how much fun it is to play, and how good they will feel about themselves when they maintain a healthy weight.

As nation-wide campaigns to reduce obesity are promoted, educators can teach Positive Action with confidence. A pending journal article includes statistical analysis from a randomized trial in Chicago that indicates Positive Action decreased body mass index for 8th graders (Bavarian, et al., under review).