Eat Healthy + Play Hard = STUDENT SUCCESS

Mississippi School Wellness Policy Guide for Development

School wellness policies are required for school year

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004

Senator Tom Harkin “On one hand, the specter of malnutrition and hunger continues to haunt millions of Americans, especially children. At the same time, we are confronted with a grave public health threat in the form of obesity and overweight, which are quickly becoming a major threat not just to individuals but to our Nation as a whole.”

Gov. Haley Barbour “Weight is something with which many of us struggle, including me, so I have a special appreciation for the educational, physical and emotional value of diet, exercise and other elements of healthier living.”

Mississippi School Wellness Policy Guide for Development

Developing EFFECTIVE School Wellness Policies WHY ? WHAT ? HOW ? WHO ? WHEN ?

WHY ?

Our kids are facing a weight, nutrition, and health crisis.

More than overweight kids

Weighty Health Issues Overweight Overfed Undernourished Sedentary Diabetes (type 2) CVD risk factors Eating disorders

Overweight Children in US There were 4 times the number of overweight children in 2002 as in the 1960’s. The number of overweight teens has more than tripled during the same time period.

Age Group Elementary OVERWEIGHT 21% At risk of OVERWEIGHT 16% Middle school OVERWEIGHT 16.2%18.5% At risk of OVERWEIGHT 18.3%20.7% High school OVERWEIGHT 14%15.7% At risk of OVERWEIGHT 15.4%31.4% Mississippi Children

Being overweight is an academic issue. Overweight children have more school absences than children with a healthy weight. Overweight children report a lower quality of life. Weight-related teasing is a frequent cause of bullying at school.

Overweight, overfed … but UNDERnourished

OVERFED Over 40 percent of kids’ calories come from ADDED fat and sugar.

Undernourished Kids and teens in the US are seriously deficient in calcium. School-aged children and teens also have low intakes of some very important nutrients, like zinc, iron and B-vitamins. These nutrients are critical for brain functioning and learning.

Being undernourished is an academic issue. Optimal nutrition is necessary for optimal cognitive functioning. Zinc and iron (along with other nutrients) are critically important to brain function. Sub-optimal nutrition has been shown to affect academic performance and even IQ scores.

Less PE in school More screen time Only 1/2 get enough regular physical activity 14% of teens report NO regular physical activity SEDENTARY

Too much TV is an academic issue. Excessive screen time undermines children's education. Excessive screen time reduces the time kids have to read, do homework, and explore the world around them. Kids who watch a lot of TV (with simple words and sentences) are missing out on the vocabulary they need to excel at school.

Health Behavior MSUSA Overweight 15.7%13.5% At risk for being overweight 15.7%15.4% No moderate physical activity 82%75% Less than 3 servings milk/day 89%82.9% Less than 5 servings F+V/day 80%78% More than 3 hrs. TV/school day 54.1%38.2% No PE at school 77%72% 2003 Youth Risk Survey (YRBS)

“One in three children born in the US in 2000 will become diabetic …” CDC ~ 2003 Type 2 DIABETES

Type 2 diabetes is an academic issue. Children with Type 2 diabetes have more school absences. Fluctuating blood sugar levels contribute to poor behavior and other school problems. Kids with Type 2 diabetes may need more intensive nursing services.

These problems have far-reaching consequences. Health consequences Cardiovascular, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes High blood cholesterol, respiratory ailments, and orthopedic and dental problems Psychological consequences Self-esteem, withdrawal, anxiety, body image Academic consequences Attendance, classroom behavior, cognitive development, test scores, and academic performance

Health Issue MS Asthma in childhood 10th in US Cancer deaths 5th in US Diabetes rates 2nd in US Heart disease deaths 1st in US Obesity rates in adults 2nd in US Sedentary lifestyle (no activity) 10th in US Mississippi Health Challenges

Mississippi Budget Challenge Obesity-related costs $757 million dollars per year, over half of those expenses were paid by Medicare and Medicaid

FAMILY PRE-SCHOOL SCHOOLS COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY Schools play a central role in creating solutions.

Mississippi Families Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Succeed

Nutrition and fitness improve academic performance.

Nutrition and fitness help children behave well in school.

Nutrition and Fitness Reduce fatigue Reduce irritability Reduce apathy Reduce anxiety Reduce depression Reduce infections Reduce absences

Nutrition and Fitness Improve attendance Improve energy levels Improve participation Improve behavior Improve test scores Improve academic success

BOTTOM LINE: Kids need nutrition to get information IN, not just OUT on test days. Research supports academics

Research supports fitness BOTTOM LINE: Physical activity is positively associated with academic performance.

Is student health the missing link in closing the achievement gap?

Healthy kids = healthy schools = healthy communities = healthy world

Mississippi Families Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Succeed

WHAT ?

Mississippi School Wellness Policy Guide for Development

Make it easy for schools … … to have a policy in place by school year … to begin or continue a discussion on kids’ health. … to take baby steps toward successful improvements.

School Wellness Policy Goals Nutrition Guidelines Community Involvement Implementation School Year

GOALS for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school- based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local education agency determines is appropriate WHAT ?

Each Commitment Minimum requirements Federal regulations Mississippi statutes Optional policy statements Possible GOALS Appendices Examples Resources

Commitment to Nutrition PAGE 6-7

Commitment to Physical Activity PAGE 7

Commitment to Comprehensive Health Education PAGE 8

Commitment to Marketing a Healthy School Environment PAGE 8

Nutrition GUIDELINES selected by the local educational agency for ALL foods available on each school campus under the local educational agency during the school day with the objectives of promotion student health and reducing childhood obesity WHAT ?

APPENDICES PAGE 10-12

ASSURANCES that guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than the regulations issued by the USDA WHAT ?

Reimbursable School Meals PAGE 6

WAYS of measuring how well the school wellness policy is being implemented, including designation of one or more persons at each school with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school is meeting the policy WHAT ?

Commitment to Implementation PAGE 9

INVOLVEMENT of parents, students, teachers, representatives of the school food authority, school board and school administrators, and the public, in developing the policy WHAT ?

HOW ?

Three Steps for Success 1.Gather input and assess current situation. 2.Develop and approve a school wellness policy. 3.Implement an EFFECTIVE school wellness policy. PAGE 2-3

WHO ?

A team approach … Students Families Teachers Coaches Nurses Counselor Principal Superintendent Foodservice staff After-school staff Doctor Dietitian Therapist Dentist Orthodontist Public Health YWCA/YMCA Boys/Girls Club Extension College/University

WHEN ?

Develop an EFFECTIVE school wellness policy. Goals Guidelines Community Involvement Implementation School year

Who Benefits? Families Teachers Administrators Child Nutrition Programs

Who Benefits? Students

Mississippi Department of Education Office of Healthy Schools Created by Dayle Hayes, MS, RD

Eat Healthy + Play Hard = STUDENT SUCCESS