Lack Of Nutrition & Exercise In Schools

As of 2008, the CDC reported approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents were considered obese. As the concern for childhood obesity grows, one area of interest is the lack of nutrition and physical activity children receive in schools. This is one key area because kids spend the majority of their days at school. This presents a good opportunity to teach kids and adolescents about the importance of nutrition and physical activity.

School Nutrition

Children may consume up to half of daily calories at school. Schools have a unique opportunity to educate students on proper nutrition and healthy eating habits. Providing students with balanced healthy meals can help show students how to eat healthy and it can help improve academic performance. Schools commonly serve foods such as pizza, hamburgers, french fries and chips. Efforts have been made to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables offered to students and changing what is served in vending machines, however improvements in school nutrition still need to be made.

School Nutrition Programs

Many schools participate in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program. The School Breakfast Program requires that participating schools meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Breakfast must provide 1/4 of the recommended dietary allowance for calories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. More than 87,000 schools participate in the School Breakfast Program.

The National School Lunch Program is very similar to the breakfast program. Schools participating are required to serve lunches that meet 1/3 of the recommended dietary allowance of calories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Although schools must meet these requirements, the decision as to what foods are served and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities.

Physical Activity

Physical activity should also be included in the school day. In many schools, physical activity has decreased with less recess time and less time for PE classes. Physical activity participation tends to decrease as kids reach the high school level. Children and adolescents should get at least 30 minutes to one hour of physical activity daily. In addition to promoting a healthy weight, physical activity can help improve academic performance. Physical activity can help increase concentration, help improve memory and reduce disruptive behavior in the classroom. A lot of kids spend hours in front of the television or computer at home instead of playing outside. Schools can provide a great opportunity to promote physical activity.

Other Considerations

In order to improve nutrition and physical activity in schools, it is important for both parents and teachers to become more involved. Parents can teach kids good nutrition at home by setting good examples themselves. These habits will carry over into school, where teachers can reinforce good nutrition and provide students with healthy food and opportunities to be physically active.