Inflatable MEGA brain teaches community about addiction, and how to promote brain health
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IDAHO FALLS — Health educators spent Monday morning teaching the public about their brains and how to take care of them— while literally walking them through it.
Eastern Idaho Public Health celebrated World Brain Day with a giant inflatable “MEGA brain” that allows community members to walk through the body’s most important organ to learn about disease, brain health, and how to keep your mind in tip-top shape.
“It’s great to see what your brain looks like if you have a disorder,” says Heather Hansen, a Health Education Specialist at EIPH. “It’s a great way for parents to show their kids, or for kids to go home and tell their parents, ‘I saw what an aneurysm looks like today.’”
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One of the main topics of the event included the effects of vaping on the brain — something many parents are learning about as their kids are exposed to smoking.
“Parents don’t necessarily know their kids are exposed to (vaping) at such a young age. So, we want to get kids educated on it before that happens,” says Hansen. “We want them to know how to handle those situations as they come up, and this gives parents an opportunity to talk to their kids.”
The inflatable brain also included information on multiple brain diseases, such as addiction, and information on what to do if you or a loved one is struggling.
“We specifically got these inflatables to educate people on what substances do to the body,” says Hansen. “That’s kind of our goal, to give them a memorable way to remember that these substances you choose to use do harm your body. It helps them to make a better choice about things like that.”
As parents and children walked through the brain, educators hope they had a memorable experience to start important discussions on brain health at home and in schools.
“Kids are very object-lesson oriented, so being able to see it, touch it and experience it, is a way better way of having those lessons sink in,” says Brenna Christofferson, Communications Specialist for EIPH. “It’s just nice to provide that service to them.”