Food, Fitness and Our Kids Policy and Practice Options to Consider

Food, Fitness and our Kids Today we will: Look at 8 recommendations from an article published at the NSBA website. These recommendations are adapted from the Surgeon General’s Prescription for Change, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the US Department of Agriculture’s Changing the Scene. We will look at some research results and some examples of programs from schools across the country.

Food, Fitness and our Kids At the end of this presentation: You will have a chance to indicate which areas you would like to explore further. We will divide into groups to talk about the area’s importance and how we might explore it further.

8 Recommendations to consider 1. Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority.

Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority Establish a vision and goals for the district’s child nutrition and physical education programs. Adopt policies that ensure all foods and beverages sold on campuses and at school events are consistent with USDA dietary guidelines. Extend the more rigorous nutrient standards (i.e. age specific USDA dietary guidelines) so that they apply to all schools (elementary, middle, and high).

Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority Retain well-trained food services professionals who reinforce students’ adoption of healthy eating habits. Ensure that nutrition and physical education policies are implemented and evaluated annually.

Here is your chance to get ahead of SB 5436 Each District’s Board of Directors needs to establish its own policy by August 1, 2005. The policy needs to cover access to nutritious foods, exercise, and accurate information related to these topics.

8 Recommendations to consider 1. Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority. 2. Ensure quality school meals.

Ensure quality school meals Involve students in the selection, tasting, and marketing of healthy foods and beverages that appeal to students. Provide more options such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy foods, that are low in fat and added sugars.

Ensure quality school meals Offer a variety of healthy choices that appeal to students, including cultural and ethnic favorites. Commit all schools to participate in available child nutrition programs including breakfast, lunch, after school snacks, child care, and summer food services.

Eating more fruits & vegetables- Santa Monica & Malibu Purchased produce from farmers. Prepared salads daily. Provided cooking demos and tours of farms and farmers markets. Increased salad bar rates in elementary and secondary schools.

8 Recommendations to consider 1. Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority. 2. Ensure quality school meals. 3. Monitor competitive food sales.

Monitor competitive food sales. Restrict student access to unhealthy foods in vending machines, school stores, and other venues that compete with healthy school meals. Ensure that healthy snacks and beverages are provided in vending machines, school stores, and other venues. Healthy options should be at same cost or less than unhealthy alternatives.

Some Facts Kids are snacking more and taking in more calories. [Between 1989 & 1996 – kids calorie intake increased by 80-230 calories a day –depending on their age & activity level] 1 Soft drink consumption is up. [From 1 to 1.4 servings a day between 89 & 96]2 Kids who drink soft drinks get more calories than kids who don’t [about 55 to 190 more a day]3.

Some Facts Unhealthy foods can displace healthy foods.4 Students in schools where snack foods are available consumed 50% less fruit, juice, and vegetables than students without such access.4 Most common snack foods offered are candy, chips, desserts, ice cream and soft drinks.

Changing to healthy snacks does not mean losing money A high school in Minnesota5: Replaced most of its soda vending machines Added additional machines stocked with somewhat cheaper healthy drinks. Sales of healthy items went up. No money was lost.

Changing to healthy snacks does not mean losing money Vista unified school district6: Bought its own vending machines Replaced unhealthy options with healthier foods (yoghurt, granola, fruit, etc.) Offered less soda more healthy drinks (water, sports drinks, juice, milk, smoothies) In the first year generated $200,000 more

8 Recommendations to consider 1. Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority. 2. Ensure quality school meals. 3. Monitor competitive food sales. 4. Provide an environment conducive to good health.

Provide an environment conducive to good health Atmosphere makes the meal…. Adequate space and time to eat Lunch at mid-day Manageable lines Time to socialize Space that is safe, comfortable, and inviting

Provide an environment conducive to good health Encourage safe access to physical activity facilities during and after school. Ensure that drinking fountains are operable, clean, and convenient for students to access throughout the school day.

Adding more lunch periods worked in Evanston High WY Went from 2 to 3 lunch periods7 More students bought lunch - so more revenue Students had time to eat lunch Campus closed for freshman and sophomores Students stopped skipping lunch, eating from vending machines and going off campus

8 Recommendations to consider 1. Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority. 2. Ensure quality school meals. 3. Monitor competitive food sales. 4. Provide an environment conducive to good health. 5. Support nutrition education and physical education.

Support nutrition education and physical education Offer nutrition education and daily physical activity in all grades (pre-kindergarten through 12th). Enforce mandated PE requirements. Focus on skills development so students are able to learn and adopt healthy lifestyles. Offer nutrition education in the school dining room and in the classroom with coordination between teachers and food services staff.

Some Facts To burn off that 20 ounce soda added to a diet that already meets caloric needs – a high school student needs 2 additional hours of moderate exercise. 8 Physical activity has many benefits – higher self esteem, lower stress and anxiety and the prevention of many chronic diseases. 9

Some Facts Physical activity is positively associated with academic performance. 10 Even though the American Heart Association recommends daily PE for all grades, only 17% of middle schools and 2% of high schools require this (according respondents to a CDC study in 1994). 11

Sometimes the simple solutions work best TAKE 10 is an innovative teaching tool, for grades K-5, that capitalizes on a child's natural desire to be active. The class room based program is designed to reduce sedentary time in the school day while promoting positive health messages about physical activity and nutrition. TAKE 10 activities link academic curriculum requirements in math, science, language arts, and social studies with 10-minute periods of physical activity. Many volunteer teachers are continuing to use this program (3-5 times a week) one year after its inception. Students are burning more calories. Students seem enjoy doing something new while creatively learning and being active. 12

Fitness linked to higher reading & math scores - Seattle schools. Success oriented PE for all students regardless of ability, interest, age, or sex 12 workshops for staff Eclectic curriculum – fencing, roller skating, yoga, etc. Elementary students 90 min PE/week, secondary 100 min PE/week, 2 years PE for High School. Students at or above 85th percentile on fitness, score 10-20 points above US average in reading & math.13

8 Recommendations to consider 5. Support nutrition education and physical education. 6. Promote healthy eating and physical activity.

Promote healthy eating and physical activity Discourage the use of unhealthy foods (soda, candy or hi-fat) as incentive or reward in the classroom – encourage alternatives (inexpensive stickers, pencils, erasers) Serve healthy foods for class parties (smoothies, fruit salads) Use a variety of strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity to students, parents, teachers, administrators and the community.

Promote healthy eating and physical activity Conduct promotional campaigns in the cafeteria and on campus that encourage healthy eating and do not promote less nutritious food choices. Discourage the promotion and advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages.

Some Facts The most prevalent forms of marketing to children are TV and in-school marketing.14 In school marketing works – labeling & signage on a vending machine had an affect on what was brought by secondary school students –according to a systematic review of the evidence conducted in 2004. 15

Some Facts Every year American kids see 40,000 TV ads 16 Kids average over 5 hours a day of media. 16 Kids who spend more media time are more likely to be overweight (4.6 times more likely according to one study of 700 10-15 years old comparing 5 hours to 1-0 hours) 16 The issue is not just sedentary behavior displacing active behavior. 16

Some Facts It is the message too. Most adverts are for food – foods that are not necessarily nutritious (high in sugar and fat). 16

8 Recommendations to consider 5. Support nutrition education and physical education. 6. Promote healthy eating and physical activity. 7. Explore revenue-generating alternatives.

Explore revenue generating alternatives Continually seek other sources of revenue for schools so that food service programs, booster clubs, student clubs, and parent-teacher associations do not have to support their activities through the sale of unhealthy foods in vending machines, snack bars, student stores, and other food outlets. Explore how some districts are able to be less reliant of the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages.

8 Recommendations to consider 5. Support nutrition education and physical education. 6. Promote healthy eating and physical activity. 7. Explore revenue-generating alternatives. 8. Assess the district’s nutrition and physical activity programs.

Assess the district’s nutrition and physical activity program Visit your school cafeteria and spend time with students and staff to learn what students are eating. Involve students, parents, school staff, administrators, nutritionists, and community leaders in assessing the school’s eating and physical activity environment. Develop a shared vision and an action plan to achieve it.

Assess the district’s nutrition and physical activity program Review successful school based models. Identify other resources to develop sound policies for physical education and physical activity, and other components of a comprehensive school health program.

8 Recommendations to consider 1. Emphasize proper nutrition and physical activity as a priority. 2. Ensure quality school meals. 3. Monitor competitive food sales. 4. Provide an environment conducive to good health. 5. Support nutrition education and physical education. 6. Promote healthy eating and physical activity. 7. Explore revenue-generating alternatives. 8. Assess the district’s nutrition and physical activity programs.

Socio-Ecological Model

Where do we start? You may want to start with an idea that will: Fit into your larger plan Be accepted and supported Yield results Be easier rather than harder to implement Has a track record Can be adapted as needed

Exploration Process Good news! – Great resources have already been developed. We have a wide range of expertise in our State.