Improving the School Nutrition
Environment
The Staggering Statistics of
Childhood Obesity
• 2 out of every 10 children in the United States
are overweight (CDC, 2009)
• Local policies and physical
environment influence daily
choices that affect health
and our weight
(Bell & Rubin, 2007)
In Order to Improve the Future of
our Children
• We must:
– Acknowledge the Staggering Statistics Regarding
Obesity and our Children’s Health
– Take Action to Address the Poor Nutritional
Choices that are in our Children’s Schools
– Address the Racial Disparities in Nutrition
Obesity Defined
The Body Mass Index Scale plots height and weight against age.
If the child is above 85% they are considered obese.
Click on the KidsHealth Hyperlink below to calculate your child’s BMI
Body Mass Index (BMI) Charts
Time for Change
• “To reverse the obesity epidemic, we must
change our physical and food environments to
provide more opportunities for people to eat
healthy foods…” (CDC, 2009)
• Given the number of hours children spend at
school, this environment affects them
Implications of Poor Nutrition
Heart Disease
Diabetes
Osteoarthritis
Psychological Issues
Cancer
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Click on the Hyperlink below to read an article
about the impact of poor nutrition on children
Baby Boomers May Outlive Their Kids
Poor Nutrition’s Impact on Children
• Limited food and beverage choices (e.g. foods
with low calorie, sugar, fat and sodium
content) can be a barrier to healthy eating and
drinking.
• Portion size is twice the size of what it was in
the 1990’s.
– Increased calorie, fat, sodium content
at each meal
Portions Compared
20 Years Ago
500 calories
Today
850 calories
Racial Disparities in Childhood
Obesity
• Children living in urban areas have a higher
incidence of obesity.
– In the Bronx, New York 18% of the youth age 12 to
19 come from low income and minority youth,
particularly Hispanics and African Americans
– Prevalence of being overweight was 21.7% and
prevalence of obesity was 22.5%. Boys were at
higher risk of being obese than girls and those of
Hispanic origin were more obese (24%) than nonHispanic and African Americans (19%). (Isasi, Whiffen,
Campbell, Florez, Freeman & Wylie-Rosett, 2011)
Some of the Causes of Childhood
Obesity
• Poor nutrition
– Processed foods (hot dogs, chicken nuggets)
– Low fiber, high sugar, high fat foods
– High calorie & low nutrition snacks (chips, pop
tarts)
• Decreased physical activity
• Increased sedentary activities
(video games, television, computer)
A Quick Look at a School Menu
Age Appropriate Healthy Diet
• Vista Unified School District of California
implemented a vending machine policy
– eliminated less healthy food options (chips and
candy) and replaced it with yogurt, fresh fruit and
vegetables.
(Coalition on Children and Weight San Diego, 2007)
• St. Paul, Minnesota implemented a “Five a
Day Power Plus Program” (Perry et.al., 1998)
– Increased availability of fruit and
vegetable variety to children
increased consumption significantly.
Intervention for Childhood Obesity
• Seattle, 2004: The Seattle School Board
approved nutrition-related policies designed
to provide healthy and affordable food and
beverage options. (Seattle Public Schools, 2004)
– Result: Soda, juice and sports drink sold in vending
machines and school stores at
higher price than bottled water.
Stakeholders and/or Organizations
that Potentially Could Promote
Good Nutrition
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Student Government
Parent - Teacher Organizations
Food Distributors
School Nurse
Action Plan
• Need to evaluate school lunch program at
local level
• Need to enlist support from stakeholders
• Need to offer ideas of “what a healthy lunch
and snack could look like”
• Need to work along side of school
nutritionist to promote positive
change
References
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Bell, J. & Rubin, V. (2007). Why place matters : Building a Movement for Healthy Communities. Oakland,
CA: PolicyLink.
Center for Disease Control (2009). Recommended community strategies and measurements to prevent
obesity in the United States: Implementation and Measurement Guide. Retrieved from:
www.cdc.gov
Coalition on Children and Weight San Diego (2007). A call to action: Childhood obesity action plan for San
Diego County. San Diego, CA: Our Community Our Kids.
Colonial School District, 2011. April lunch menu. Retrieved from: www.colonia.k12.de.us/docs/k-5.pdf
Isasi, C., Whiffen, A., Campbell, E., Florez, Y., Freeman, K. & Wylie-Rosett, J., 2011. High prevalence of
obesity among inner-city adolescent boys in the Bronx, New York: Forgetting our boys. Preventing
Chronic Disease 8 (1) Retrieved from: www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/jan/pdf/10_0009.pdf
KidsHealth (2011). KidsHealth BMI Calculator. Retrieved from:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growth/bmi_charts.html
Ogden, C., Carroll, M. & Flegal, K. (2008). High body mass index for age among U.S. children and
adolescents, 2003 -2006. Journal of the American Medical Association 299(20) 2401 – 2405.
Perry, C., Bishop, D., Taylor, G., Murray, D., Mays, R., Dusovitz, B. (1998). Changing fruit and
vegetable consumption among children: The 5-a-Day Power Plus Program
in St. Paul, MN. American Journal of Public Health 88(4) 603-609.
Seattle Public Schools, (2004). Distribution and sales of competitive foods, board adopted
procedure (No. E 13.01). Seattle, WA: Author.
Warner, J. (2010). Baby boomers may outlive their children. Retrieved from:
http://children.webmd.com/news/20100409/baby-boomers-may-outlive-their-kids