Physical Activity and Nutrition: School Children
Fitness and good nutrition are hallmarks of successful learning and high achievement by students. They are critically important during the rapid mental and physical growth and development that occurs from birth through adolescence. Research on nutrition begun in this century has given us an opportunity to ensure children get the nutrients they need to grow and learn. The Federal Child Nutrition Programs were a response to this research, and are an extremely valuable resource for all children. However, there has been a trend in our affluent country toward the “crowding out” of valuable nutrients in the diet by foods high in fat and sugar, and low in nutritional value. According to the American Public Health Association, the proportion of children who are overweight has tripled since 1980. Ironically, even for low-income families these foods may be more affordable and accessible than more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Similarly, physical activity among adolescents is consistently related to higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and stress. It also helps the mental and emotional development of youth, which can help increase students’ capacity for learning. Yet activity levels have been decreasing – currently only 6% of middle and high schools provide daily physical education or it’s equivalent.
Problems include: Diabetes, overweight, low activity levels, poor eating habits, low nutrition knowledge, hunger, dieting and eating disorders.
Solutions include: Offering school breakfast programs, building coalitions to improve the school nutrition and physical activity environment, teaching nutrition curriculum such as USDA “Team Nutrition”, and adding after-school and summer extended learning programs offering physical activity for children, using federal snack program reimbursement as a building block.
Schools can be a place for children to be active, and enjoy eating and learning about nutritious foods. Many school food service programs are excellent, and continue to improve meals and service by working with students, parents, and school staff. Some schools have expanded on this to include innovative programs such as student and staff tended gardens, and culturally based cooking classes for students.
Learn more about improving nutrition:
The extent of the problem…
Hungry Children:
- Research suggests that skipping breakfast can affect children’s intellectual performance, and even moderate under nutrition can have lasting effects on cognitive development. Children who are hungry are more likely to have behavioral, emotional, and academic problems at school. (CDC)
- Many students who complain of stomach aches and headaches are actually experiencing symptoms of hunger. In 1999, ten percent of all U.S. households, representing 12 million children, were “food insecure” because of lack of resources (USDA)
- Hunger can actually contribute to obesity. Obesity may be an adaptation to intermittent periods of hunger, similar to yo-yo dieting. Higher fat foods may be eaten to allay hunger, so that children can actually be overweight and anemic, because of low protein and iron consumption.
- Schools with breakfast programs see increases in student attention, class participation, attendance, and academic test scores.”
-Powell CA, et.al. Nutrition and education: a randomized trial of the effects of breakfast in rural primary school children. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;68(4):873-879
Low Activity levels:
- Regular physical activity helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles and reduce fat, but nearly half of young people aged 12-21 years do not engage in physical activity on a regular basis. (CDC)
- More than a third of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity (CDC)
- Only 8% of elementary schools, 6% of middle schools, and 6% of high schools provide daily physical education or it’s equivalent for the entire school year. (SHPPS)
- Schools that offer intensive physical activity programs see positive effects on academic achievement”, even when time for physical education is taken from the academic day – including increased concentration; improved mathematics, reading, and writing scores; and reduced disruptive behaviors.
-Shepard RJ. Curricular physical activity and academic performance. Pediatric Exercise Science 1997;9:113-126
Poor Eating Habits:
- Twenty years ago, teenagers were drinking twice as much milk as they were soda. As soda consumption doubled, milk consumption dropped by almost half, and now they are drinking twice as much soda as they are milk. 74% of boys and 65% of girls consume at least one soda per day. (USDA)
- Poor eating habits are often established during childhood. Only 2% of school children meet all the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid (USDA)
- More than 60% of young people eat too much fat, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. (CDC) Only 18% of girls ages 9-19 consume enough calcium (USDHHS)
Health Risks:
- The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years. From 10% to 15% of Americans aged 6-17 yrs. – about 8 million young people- are considered overweight (CDC) These youth are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high insulin levels. They are also more likely to become overweight adults, who are at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes.
- Type II Diabetes (also known as Non-insulin dependent or adult-onset) has appeared and is rising in children and teens who are overweight.
- As children exercise less, and drink less milk and more soda, they do not achieve peak bone mass in their early years. This increases their risk for bone fractures and osteoporosis later in life, particularly for girls. (USDA)
Child Obesity:
- Approximately 30.3 percent of children (ages 6 to 11) are overweight and 15.3 percent are obese. For adolescents (ages 12 to 19), 30.4 percent are overweight and 15.5 percent are obese. (The prevalence of obesity quadrupled over the past 25 years among children and more than doubled among adolescents). (CDC)
- Ten percent of preschool children between the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight, up from 7 percent in 1994 (APHA).
- The rate of overweight boys has quadrupled for boys in the last 25 years (APHA).
Some solutions and links…
- Offering school breakfast programs
- After-school or summer extended learning programs, with a physical activity component , and using federal snack program reimbursements as a building block. Several federal child nutrition programs provide funds for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and (sometimes) dinner so that children can be fed while they are in school, after and before school, and during the summer. Learn more about federal nutrition programs available for your school.
- Teaching nutrition curriculum such as USDA “Team Nutrition” (http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Educators/index.htm) , or “Five-a-Day”(www.5aday.com)
- Promote BAM!, a body and mind e-zine aimed at youth ages 9-17. BAM! was created by the CDC to answer kids’ questions on health issues and recommend ways to make their bodies and minds healthier, stronger and safer. BAM! also provides middle school health and science teachers interactive activities that are educational and fun. It also focuses on physical activity and how other health areas are related to physical activity. To learn more about BAM! visit http://www.bam.gov.
- Building coalitions to improve the school nutrition and physical activity environment: There are a number of new innovative guides for doing this:
- “Changing the Scene- Improving the School Nutrition Environment. A guide to Local Action”(www.fns.usda.gov/tn) ,
- “Promoting Better Health for Young People Through Physical Activity and Sports” (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/presphysactrpt),
- “CDC’s School Health Index for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide” (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash) , and
- “Fit, Healthy; and Ready to Learn – A School Health Policy Guide” (www.nasbe.org).
Home |