32. Wellness in the Schools co-founders Nancy Easton & Bill Telepan on the Childhood Obesity Epidemic, Teaching Nutrition in Schools, Fitness Education, Holistic Wellness, & #WITSgala2019

Feb 13, 2019

Nancy Easton and Bill Telepan are the co-founders of Wellness in the Schools (WITS), an organization dedicated to teaching kids healthy habits so that they can learn and live better.

 

One of the reasons we love WITS is that they’re not just focused on improving school lunches, which is a big issue that needs to be addressed but, unfortunately, only a bandage on the childhood obesity epidemic. Instead, WITS is taking a holistic approach to wellness that includes nutrition, physical fitness, and lifestyle education with the goal of improving student outcomes and driving systemic, long-term change – ultimately shifting school cultures and putting an end to childhood obesity.

 

If you want to lend WITS your support, you can join us at the 12th Annual Wellness in the Schools Spring Gala on April 2nd, 2019 in NYC. You’ll have a ton of fun, eat delicious food, and get the opportunity to further this amazing cause. Even if you can’t make it to NYC for the event, you can still support the organization by bidding on items through Charitybuzz: https://www.charitybuzz.com/support/213.

 

We also chat about...

 

• How Nancy and Bill first got into the world of wellness
• Why many children struggle to access nutritional foods in their daily lives – and why school is the only opportunity for many of them to have a hot and healthy meal
• Witnessing how poor nutrition impacts a student’s ability to learn
• What WITS is cooking in school cafeterias
• How WITS is making fitness fun
• What long-term, systemic change looks like in these public schools
• The battle against bureaucracy
• The challenge of educating parents, too

 

Resources:

• Learn more at http://www.wellnessintheschools.org/
• Get a ticket for the Wellness in the Schools Spring Gala (4/2/2019): http://www.wellnessintheschools.org/event/wits-gala-2/
• Support WITS by bidding in their online auction: https://www.charitybuzz.com/support/213
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnessintheschools/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellnessintheSchools/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WITSinSchools

 

Have you tried Hungryroot?!

 

We’d like to thank Hungryroot for supporting this show and our health! These healthy foods are prepared and shipped to your door and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. You can prepare them as instructed or customize the recipe to make it your own. Plus, they just taste delish and they can work with anyone’s lifestyle or food allergies. Get $25 off your first two orders using code “HTW” at www.hungryroot.com/HTW.

Highway to Well is produced by Podcast Masters