THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT IN CONTRIBUTING TO CHILDREN’S WELLNESS
Volume 77, Number 1 Jan/Feb 2006
Schools: A Key Environment to Improving Children's Lifestyles
The U.S. Surgeon General’s report, Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, identifies schools as a key site for taking action to improve nutrition and physical activity and thereby help prevent childhood overweight (5). Schools are an ideal setting for change because nearly all children are enrolled in school; schools have a unique ability to reach all children equally; promotion of healthy eating and physical activity has traditionally been part of the education experience; and research indicates a positive link between nutrition and physical activity and academic performance (26,27). Health professionals, educators, and parents are calling for more healthful food options throughout the total school environment, increased opportunities for children to be physically active, and more behavior-focused nutrition education (7,20,27-29).
Federally funded school meal programs, such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program provide children with nutritional and academic benefits (6,30). However, many children do not participate in these programs, in part because of the increased availability and marketing of foods sold in competition with school meals (31,32). Competitive foods, many of which are high energy, low nutrient foods and beverages, are highly available in schools (e.g., a la carte, school vending machines, school stores, snack bars) (31-33).The nutritional value of competitive foods is only minimally regulated at the federal level and students often purchase these foods in addition to or instead of school meals (32).
A new federal law requires that every school district offering federal meal programs (e.g., school breakfast, school lunch) must establish a local school wellness policy by the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.
Student participation in physical education classes is low and declines as children reach adolescence (12). Opportunities for physical activity at many schools are limited because of cutbacks in recess and physical education classes. Also, participation in school-sponsored after-school teams is often restricted to elite athletes. To counter trends of decreasing physical activity among school-aged children, schools are encouraged to expand opportunities for all children to engage in daily physical activity (7).
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