Elementary schools are seeing more overweight students each year. Children are sitting more, playing outdoors less, and gaining weight. With recess and P.E. times being cut in many schools to devote more time to reading and math, students are sedentary which adds to the problem.
Obesity is of great concern in the U.S. and also in Europe. A recent European study in the Lancet stated that obesity rates have tripled with 10% of children technically obese.
Arkansas
Presidential hopeful, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas lost weight himself and his health improved greatly. He began a program in 2003-04 that placed children’s BMI, Body Mass Index, on report cards. While many were insulted with this move, self-awareness of the problem did increase and obesity rates did decline.
California
Fountain Day School, an elite private school in West Hollywood, developed a fresh, whole food approach for hot lunch. In fact, the food is now organic. Food is purchased at a private market. This has increased the cost of lunches, but there aren’t many complaints from the parents that are already paying $850 per month tuition.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District offers students salads purchased from the local farmer’s markets. The Los Angeles Leadership Academy has removed refined flour, red meat or sugar from school lunches for healthier menus.
Texas
The state of Texas has passed laws mandating more physical education and less junk food in schools. The state’s high Latino population is responsible for 66% of the school obesity population. While efforts in school are beneficial, many students enter school already obese. Texas is looking to an educational component for parents to emphasize basic nutrition facts:
- Fat babies are not necessarily healthy babies.
- Don’t stop breastfeeding too soon.
- Don’t introduce real food too soon.
- Don’t put soft drinks in baby’s bottle.
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia elementary schools took part in a recent study to see how healthy foods would affect obesity in schools. Five schools
- Replaced sodas with fruit juice and milk
- Scaled back snacks
- Snacks had to meet fat and calorie restrictions
- Banished candy
- Encouraged active participation at recess time
- Gave raffle tickets for wise food choices toward bikes and jumpropes
- Spent hours teaching kids and parents about good nutrition
Results? During the two-year study, half the number of students got fat in the five targeted schools than those not participating in the program. 1349 students participated in the study in grades four to six. When the study began, 40% of the students were overweight or obese. After two years, the overweight or obese numbers dropped 10-15%.
While all these efforts have some merit, nutrition begins in the home and parents are an important part of the obesity/overweight factor.
Source: Yahoo! News, Stephanie Nano, April 7, 2008
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Copyright article 2008 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
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