Teens take on health

B'Onko Sadler, Michigan State University Extension - December 22, 2015

Teenagers are being active in the fight for healthier lifestyles in their schools, home and communities.

Teenagers today are becoming increasingly more aware of health issues that plague there generation, likely because they’re bombarded with messages on a daily basis through media outlets or living it first-hand at school. Some teens are not lying down quietly and letting time pass; some are getting out and being active in the fight for change in their schools, home and communities.

Some youth are facing health issue straight on because they care about their bodies, family and community. Youth have become actively engaged in grass root programming that cuts at the heart of health issues this generation faces, and are getting help from local Michigan State University Extension offices.

Childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, texting and driving, smoking and underage drinking are some of the common things reports release when it comes to some of the risky behaviors teens are actively engaged in on a day-to-day basis. Some youth have taken an initiative to help bring awareness to these areas by getting involved in 4-H healthy living programs in their local areas. As these youth have been identified, some of them have joined the statewide healthy living committee and have made the pledge to live a healthier lifestyle and educate their peers and others on some of these health concerns.

Youth have planned workshops, attended trainings, put together strategic framework that guides the work they will do, and helped determined what programming will look like across the state as it pertains to healthy living. Youth have engaged in problem solving and have become active change agents in their communities.

If you know of any teen or adult that has a passion for healthy living and wants to get involved at the local level, have them contact their local MSU Extension office. Extensions staff can help provide youth with information on career paths in the health field or teach them how to better their skills and their communities.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).