Fellow teachers and educators,

I really appreciated the posts on smoking and drinking, and on the lack of training in first aid. These are extremely important issues that, in my humble opinion, every serious teacher should address. Angela, Tim, and DoS have so accurately and passionately expressed that as teachers we are the students role models, no matter his or her age, and that they look up to us, admire us, and will seriously consider what we share with them.

As a Nutritionist and Natural Health Practitioner studying advanced Chinese herbal medicine here in China and Taiwan for the past 4 years, I would like to add another one of those areas where we can do so much to prevent what we have failed to do in many of our own countries: Lets tell our students about the dangers of fast food (and drinks) such as KFC, McDonalds, etc. offer, lets make them aware of the lack of nutrients and the presence of very dangerous fats in these foods, and lets tell them about the long-term, frequent use of these - soon to be labeled harmful to your health products of our modern, developed nations.

And lets do it the smart way: We dont need to tell them about trans-fats, carcinogenic substances, E.coli, or Salmonella, but we can discuss the concepts of a happy chicken on a small farm eating grass, grains, and bugs vs. a miserable chicken in a tiny cage eating ground up, hormone-laced animal parts. To answer a very common question asked by students of all ages, yes, potatoes, and therefore French Fries, are vegetables, but what absorbable nutrients are there left after freezing, storing, and then frying in hot, bad quality oil?

Concerning the method of how to share this with our students, we must remember that very few people like to hear dont eat this, dont eat that!, yet most people have no problem if we say if you eat it, eat it once in a while (IMHO, twice a month or so), look at it as a treat, and enjoy it!

In an ideal world, we could get this message out to the parents in the form of a school newsletter, on parent-orientation events, or through personal contact with students and their parents. I was even able to put it in several local newspapers via an interview, even though the purpose of the interview was to highlight my studies in Chinese medicine. ;-)

Finally, we also must lead, teach, and guide by example: If you must have a smoke, do it where none of your students can see you, if you must drink Coke, put it in a neutral cup, if you eat KFC, dont bring it to school, and if you drink alcohol, dont brag about it!

Thanks for a great forum, and thanks to all of you for having the courage and patience to teach abroad.

Daniel, N.E., C.D.C.
Nutrition Educator, Teacher, Student