1. The Effect of School Nutrition Environment on Academic Performance and Tomorrow’s Health
Maribel Gonzalez, MPH student
Walden University
PUBH
Instructor: Howard Rubin
Winter 2010
This power point presentation is about the effect of school nutrition environment on academic performance and tomorrow’s health. The intended audience could include principals, parents, students, school district administrators (including superintendents, business managers and school boards). The purpose of this presentation is to improve the current school nutrition programs in order to decrease the incidence of overweight and obesity among school children in the United States. During this slide show presentation you will learn what makes children become overweight or obese, the detrimental outcomes it has on the children’s academic performance as well as future health, and positive changes we can make.

2. Objectives
To learn the leading causes of children overweight and obesity epidemic
To acquire knowledge of the effect of school nutrition on academic performance and tomorrow’s health
To gain insights to improve current school nutrition programs
By the end of this presentation, you will learn what are the leading causes of overweight and obesity among children, acquire knowledge of the effect of school nutrition on academic performance and tomorrow’s health, and gain insights that can help improve the current school nutrition programs.

3. “Twenty-five million American children are overweight or obese (1.3).”
Welcome, my name is Maribel Gonzalez. I am currently enrolled at Walden University in their M.S. in Public Health. Today I am going to speak about the effect of school nutrition environment on academic performance and tomorrow’s health. According to current research of the American Dietetic Association, “Twenty-five million American children are overweight or obese (1.3).” (Briefel, Crepinsek, Cabili, Wilson, & Philip, 2009).
Reference:
Briefel, R. R., Crepinsek, M. K., Cabili, C., Wilson, A., & Philip, M. G. (2009). School
Food Environments and Practices Affect Dietary Behaviors of US Public
School Children. The American Dietetic Association, 109(2), S91-S107.
doi: /j.jada

4. Leading Causes
Most children eat at least one meal and spend half of their time at school.
Schools offer less nutritional items in their meal programs.
Most children have access to vending machines and à la carte items.
Reference:
Woodward-Lopez, G., Gosliner, Q., Samuels, S. E., Craypo, L., Kao, J., & Crawford, P. B. (2010). Lessons Learned From
Evaluations of California's Statewide School Nutritional Standards. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11),
doi:doi: /AJPH
Robinson-Obrien, R., Burgess-Champoux, T., Haines, J., Hannan, P. J., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2010). Associations Between
School Meals Offered Through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and Fruit and Vegetable
Intake Among Ethnically Diverse, Low-Income Children. Journal of School Health, 80(10), doi: /j.1746- x
The leading causes of the current overweight and obesity epidemic are that most children eat at least one meal and spend half of their time at school. In addition, schools offer less nutritional items in their meal programs, and most children have access to vending machines and à la carte items. These are reasons why we need to change the student nutrition environment.

5. Typical Lunchrooms
“Today’s typical lunchroom landscape is one filled with the processed and the reheated: pizza, French fries, and chicken nuggets rule the land.”
“A 2004 survey by the School Nutrition Association found pizza and chicken (‘typically chicken nuggets’) to be the most popular cafeteria entrees, and potatoes and corn to be the most popular vegetables.”
Reference: Julian, L. (2010). Why School Lunch is "Nasty!". Policy Review, 163, 43-53
Todays typical lunchrooms are the primary source of children’s unhealthy habits. According to Julian, “Today’s typical lunchroom landscape is one filled with the processed and the reheated: pizza, French fries, and chicken nuggets rule the land.” (2010, p.45) When children are offered meals that are high in appeal and low in nutritional value, that is what they will mostly choose. “A 2004 survey by the School Nutrition Association found pizza and chicken (‘typically chicken nuggets’) to be the most popular cafeteria entrees, and potatoes and corn to be the most popular vegetables.” (Julian, 2010, p.45)

6. Effects
“In 2005 Anderson and Butcher estimated that the increase in the availability of junk foods (ie, foods higher in energy and low in nutrients) in schools accounted for one fifth of the increase in body mass index observed in adolescents during the past 10 years.”
References:
Briefel, R. R., Crepinsek, M. K., Cabili, C., Wilson, A., & Philip, M. G. (2009). School Food Environments and Practices Affect
Dietary Behaviors of US Public School Children. The American Dietetic Association, 109(2), S91-S107.
doi: /j.jada
When we offer our children unhealthy foods, we can persuade them to make wrong food choices, and consequently their bodies can be affected. “In 2005 Anderson and Butcher estimated that the increase in the availability of junk foods (ie, foods higher in energy and low in nutrients) in schools accounted for one fifth of the increase in body mass index observed in adolescents during the past 10 years” (Briefel et al., 2009, p.S92).

7. Effects
“In a review of overweight and student school performance, Taras and Potts-Datema note the consistency of the association between childhood overweight and poorer levels of academic achievement.”
Reference:
Florence, M. D., Asbridge, M., & Veugelers, P. J. (2008). Diet Quality and Academic Performance. Journal of
School Health, 78(4), doi: /j x
Furthermore, once their bodies are affected their school performance will also be affected. “In a review of overweight and student school performance, Taras and Potts-Datema note the consistency of the association between childhood overweight and poorer levels of academic achievement” (Florence , Asbridge, & Veugelers, 2008, p.214).

8. Effects
“Undernourished children have been shown to have decreased attendance, attention, and academic performance as well as experience more health problems compared to well-nourished children.”
Reference:
Florence, M. D., Asbridge, M., & Veugelers, P. J. (2008). Diet Quality and Academic Performance. Journal of School Health,
78(4), doi: /j x
The effects of obesity can be seen in the classroom on a daily basis. “Undernourished children have been shown to have decreased attendance, attention, and academic performance as well as experience more health problems compared to well-nourished children” (Florence , Asbridge, & Veugelers, 2008, p. 210).

9. Lifelong Effects
Children that are obese can also become obese as adults.
Develop serious health risks (e.g., heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes).
Reference:
SNE (2003). Position of the American Dietetic Association, School Nutrition Association, and Society for Nutrition Education:
Comprehensive School Nutrition Services. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35(2),
Li, J., & Hooker, N. H. (2010). Childhood Obesity and Schools: Evidence From the National Survey of Children's
Health. Journal of School Health, 80(2), doi:doi: /j x
Excess weight during childhood can lead to lifelong effects such as becoming obese as adults. Additionally, obesity can cause serious health problems later on in life like for example heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

10. Change is Good
“Good nutrition is linked to learning readiness and academic achievement, decreased discipline problems, and decreased emotional problems.”
Reference:
SNE (2003). Position of the American Dietetic Association, School Nutrition Association, and Society for Nutrition Education:
Comprehensive School Nutrition Services. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35(2),
“Good nutrition is linked to learning readiness and academic achievement, decreased discipline problems, and decreased emotional problems” (SNE, 2003, p. 58). This proves that we need to make a change in order to eliminate the alarming health and learning effects that low nutritional meals have on our children.

11. What Can We Do? Add vegetables and fruits to every meal
Juices need to be 100% juice
No fried foods
Skim or 1% milk
No vending machines
No colors, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and trans fat in foods.
Remove items with low nutrients and high sugar beverages from snack bars.
So, what can we do? The following are some of the simple changes that can be made in school lunchrooms. We need to add vegetables and fruits to every meal, and all juices need to be 100% juice. Absolutely no fried foods, and change to skim or 1% milk. In addition, no vending machines because children do not need exposure to unhealthy processed foods loaded with sugar, salt and fat. Furthermore, meals need to also be free of colors, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and trans fat. Finally, we need to remove items with low nutrients and high sugar beverages from all snack bars.

12. Help Prevent Childhood Overweight and Obesity
In conclusion, schools play an important role on preventing the disturbing trend of childhood overweight and obesity. Children are our future, therefore, let us increase efforts to develop healthy eating strategies and foster health and wealth in schools for the benefit of our children.

13. References
Briefel, R. R., Crepinsek, M. K., Cabili, C., Wilson, A., & Philip, M.G. (2009).
School Food Environments and Practices Affect Dietary Behaviors of US
Public School Children. The American Dietetic Association, 109(2), S91-
S107. doi: /j.jada
Florence, M. D., Asbridge, M., & Veugelers, P. J. (2008). Diet Quality and
Academic Performance. Journal of School Health, 78(4),
doi: /j x
Julian, L. (2010). Why School Lunch is "Nasty!". Policy Review, 163,
Li, J., & Hooker, N. H. (2010). Childhood Obesity and Schools: Evidence From
the National Survey of Children's Health. Journal of School Health,
80(2), doi: /j x

14. References
Robinson-Obrien, R., Burgess-Champoux, T., Haines, J., Hannan, P. J., &
Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2010). Associations Between School Meals
Offered Through the National School Lunch Program and School
Breakfast Program and Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Ethnically
Diverse, Low-Income Children. Journal of School Health, 80(10),
doi: /j x
Woodward-Lopez, G., Gosliner, Q., Samuels, S. E., Craypo, L., Kao, J., &
Crawford, P. B. (2010). Lessons Learned From Evaluations of
California's Statewide School Nutritional Standards. American Journal
of Public Health, 100(11), doi: /AJPH
SNE (2003). Position of the American Dietetic Association, School Nutrition
Association, and Society for Nutrition Education: Comprehensive
School Nutrition Services. Journal of Nutrition Education and
Behavior, 35(2),

15. Sources for Additional Information