Nine-year-old A.C. Moore student Samuel Dibble sometimes doesn’t understand when adults tell him some lifestyle choices are bad.

“But if they show you how a person got sick instead of just saying (it’s) bad,” then he gets the message.

Samuel is one of almost 300 A.C. Moore Elementary School students who hosted the U.S. Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona, as part of his “50 schools in 50 states” initiative to promote healthy lifestyles among youngsters.

Dr. Carmona selected the school because he had heard of their various health initiatives.

A.C. Moore — along with other Richland 1 elementary schools — got rid of vending machines years ago. And students regularly take 20- to 30-minute walks after a healthy breakfast at school. During their “active recess,” they don’t stand around; they play kickball, jump rope or other activities.

Those programs are championed by physical education teacher Andrea Whetstone and school nurse Carolyn Duff.

Walkers in the Moore Milers club take to the hallways or the school grounds after 7 o’clock every morning. They also use other “downtime” for walks.

Students keep track of how much they’ve walked, and those who walk the most win prizes such as foot-shaped plastic shoe charms in pink, orange, blue and other colors.

You can tell how much a student walks at school by looking at their shoelaces, said Duff, who is also South Carolina’s School Nurse of the Year.

“It’s not mandatory, but we have a lot of students that do it,” said A.C. Moore principal Quantina Haggwood. “The cafeteria just becomes empty (after breakfast) because everyone wants to do it.”

Many of the children say they are physically active not because they know it’s good for them, but because they have fun doing it. Others say they do think about the health benefits.

“I mostly exercise by riding my bike outside. I think it’s good for me. It makes me healthier and stronger,” said 8-year-old Anna Rayfield. “I learned that at school.”

But what do kids really know, and what do they say is the best way to reach them?

One student thought obesity has to do with doing what you’re told. Another gave the non-politically correct description, “When you’re fat.” Gracelynn Boster, 11, said she knows that obesity is related to blood vessels getting clogged. Joshua Sumpter, 11, said it could lead to a heart attack. It also can prevent you from doing things you enjoy, added Samuel.

Eleven-year-old Jashira Montessegura said educational movies and experiments helped teach her about healthy living.

Although the children knew a lot about health, they still had questions for Carmona.

“Why should we drink eight glasses of water a day?” asked 6-year-old YunYu Teng. Her fellow first-grader Joseph “Spencer” Smith wanted to know what was special about the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables.

The learning shouldn’t be limited to school, Carmona said. “We need to give consistent messages at school and at home.”

Reach Reid at (803) 771-8378 or czreid@thestate.com