Can Eating Healthier For Just One Month Really Make A Difference?

For those of you who don't know, 20 Time is an open-ended project, in which the teacher dedicates 20% of class time for students to work on this project. There are little to no restrictions as to what the topic can be, so it is a great opportunity for students to explore interests they've had outside of class but have never had the chance to pursue. For my 20 Time project, I want to analyze how changing my lifestyle for just one month can change my BMI, body fat percentage, heart rate, reading on an EKG, and/or weight. According to the CDC approximately 29.1 Americans - or roughly 9.3% of Americans - had diabetes in 2012, and the percentage has been rising every year. Because my family has a long history of diabetes and, as a teenager, I have a pretty unhealthy and carb-heavy diet, I have been told that I am almost pre-diabetic. My doctor has also warned me to start being careful with what I eat because skinny people can also be diabetic. So, it's about time I start eating a little bit healthier (like getting a salad for lunch instead of pasta and eating a granola bar instead of sugary cereal) and running regularly. One of my mom’s friends is a bariatric doctor - a doctor who specializes in the causes, preventions, and treatments of obesity - said she would be able to help me with finding a diet and doing the health tests. My plan is to have one control month where I continue eating how I’ve been eating and keep track of it like we did in the nutrition analysis last semester, and then do some tests at my mom’s friend’s bariatric clinic. In addition, I will record some things about my mood and concentration throughout the day. Then, the next month I will switch to healthier options for food that she suggests and run a mile each day after school. I will track my food consumption and runs, and then conduct the same health tests after this month. I will also record thoughts about my mood and concentration. Then, I will compare the tests to see how changing my diet and exercise habits for just one month will - or will not - help me be healthier and keep me from getting diabetes if the habits are continued in the long term. I’m hypothesizing that this project will show that exercise and healthier food can significantly reduce one’s chances of getting diabetes and just generally improve one’s health and mood. In todays world, according to the National Institute of Health, 35.7% of Americans are obese and about 74% of American men are obese. I think many people (and high school students especially) will be able to relate to my video and - if my hypothesis is supported - gain some insight into how they too can change their lifestyles just a little bit to help them live healthier lives.