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Elementary

USD #412 Wellness Policy

by Gayle Tacha

June 18, 2008

Good nutrition during the school years is vitally important for children to grow strong, succeed in school and establish healthy habits for a lifetime. Schools alone cannot solve the nutritional problems of children. It takes the combined efforts of families, schools, communities, government agencies, health providers, the food industry and the media to make significant progress. The US Congress and the Kansas Legislature recognized this important role when they passed the laws requiring all school districts to develop wellness plans.

KANSAS SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY GUIDELINES

Public Law 108-265, re-authorized federal Child Nutrition Programs, which include the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Section 204 of this law required that not later than the beginning of the 2006-07 school year, local educational agencies participating in the school meal programs must establish a local “school wellness policy” that, at a minimum:
1. Includes nutrition guidelines for all foods available on the school campus during the school day;
2. Provides an assurance that guidelines for school meals are not less restrictive than those set by the US Secretary of Agriculture;
3. Includes goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local educational agency determines appropriate;
4. Establishes a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy; and
5. Involved parents, students and representatives if the “school food authority” (i.e. school nutrition program), the school board, school administration and the public in development of the local wellness policy.

Why the emphasis on wellness?

• Close to 9 million children and adolescents in the US are overweight.
• The number of overweight children aged 6 to 11 years has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
• The number of adolescents aged 12 to 19 who are overweight has tripled in the past 20 years.
• Overweight children and teens are more likely to become overweight adults.
• The consequences of being overweight may include:
o Type 2 diabetes
o Heart disease
o High blood pressure
o Stroke
o Some types of cancer
o Gallbladder disease

The Kansas Health Institute indicates that the cost of treating obesity related medical problems in Kansas in 2004 was $657 million dollars. This level of spending cannot be sustained without serious financial implications.

Poor eating habits also put people at risk for other medical problems. Young people who do not get enough calcium are at greater risk for developing osteoporosis later in life.
• 85 percent of American females do not consume enough calcium. During the past 25 years, consumption of milk, the largest source of calcium, decreased 36 percent among adolescent females and average daily soft drink consumption doubled, increasing from 6 to 11 ounces daily, and almost tripled among adolescent boys, from 7 to 19 ounces daily.

• An estimated 7 to 8 percent of females in the US suffer from anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa in their lifetimes.

• Poor eating habits contribute to dental caries, which remains a major cause of school absences.

The good news is that all of these health problems are preventable with proper diet and adequate physical activity.

Hoxie Community Schools implemented their Wellness Plan in July 2006. Each July we are asked to update our plan and implement more positive changes.

Our food service department is consistently ranking in the “advanced” and in most cases “exemplary” status on the state reports. Our Food Service Director continues to look for new food items and ways to improve our menus to meet the state guidelines.

Some of our changes have included reducing the number of soft drink choices from the vending machines and increasing healthier alternative choices in the machines. We also contacted our snack vendor and worked with them to meet the guidelines for vended food items. We also required teachers to use non-food related rewards and incentives in their classrooms. At the elementary level we have also encouraged room mothers to follow the snack guidelines when planning classroom parties.

Snack guidelines per serving:
• Fat – Except for nuts, seeds and nut butters, 35% or less of total calories from fat (or less than 4 g. per 100 calories)
• Sugar – Except for fruit without added sugar, 35% or less of weight from total sugar (or less than 9 g. per 100 calories)
• Calories – 200 calories or less per serving

Resources for teachers and parents will be provided to help them make healthier choices.

Visit Kansas Team Nutrition’s website, www.powerpanter.org, to access:
Power Panther Curriculum:
Power Panther Preschool
Power Panther Pals
Power Panther Professionals

My Pyramid for Kids:
http:www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html
To order My Pyramid for Kids materials including posters, tips and classroom materials: http://www.ntis.gov/tn/Index.aspx

USDA Team Nutrition:
Popular Team Nutrition Events Idea Book order form: http://www.nits.fov/tn/Index.aspx

Team Nutrition Resources: http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

BAM! (Body and Mind) www.bam.gov contains information on nutrition, hygiene, physical activity, safety, childhood stress and much more.

For kid-friendly recipe ideas: www.kidsacookin.com

Creating Healthier Kansas Schools – www.kn-eat.org
Student Rewards & Incentives brochure
Healthful Food & Beverage Vending brochure
Fundraising Ideas for Schools brochure

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