The role the school environment can play in reversing an alarming trend Carol Bostrom, MT(ASCP) MPH student Walden University PUBH Instructor: Dr. Howard Rubin, Ph.d. Spring, 2011

Learning Objectives Understand the facts surrounding childhood obesity Realize your responsibility as stakeholders Examine successful programs Explore and implement a program for our schools

Childhood Obesity Facts Increase of at least 50% since In 2004, 17% of U.S. children were overweight 2 Females affected more than males 3 More common in Caucasian children 3 1 Schonfeld-Warden & Warden (1997) 2 Centers for Disease Control (2006) 3 Barness (2007)

Causes of Childhood Obesity Genetics Parental obesity Decrease in physical activity Increase of food intake Foster (2006)

Complications of Childhood Obesity Lack of self-esteem Clinical depression Metabolic diseases Cardiovascular diseases Barness (2007)

Influences on food choices School food environment 1 Vending machines 1 Food preferences and taste 2 1 Story, Neumark-Sztainer, & French (2002) 2 Magryta (2009)

Influence of school Nutrition and physical activity curriculum 1 Teacher and staff support 1 Provide quality, nutritious food 2 1 Sutherland, Gill, & Binns (2004) 2 Boone-Heinonen, Gordon-Larsen, and Adair (2008)

Texas Public School Nutrition Policy Impacted food and beverages sold in schools Compared pre-policy and post-policy food records Healthier food choices within 2 years Significant reductions in fat and saturated fat Behavior can be changed Cullen and Watson (2009)

Rowan County School Food Program Cost neutral changes Nine menu items replaced with healthier alternatives Successful taste test with elementary school children Public acceptance was a key factor Magryta (2009)

Let’s Move! Healthier foods in our schools Increase breakfast program Teaching the importance of nutrition Chefs Move to School HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) Let’s Move (n.d.)

SASD Student Wellness The Souderton Area School District recognizes that student wellness and proper nutrition are related to students’ physical well-being, growth, development, and readiness to learn. The Souderton Area School District is committed to the wellness of our students and community by implementing policies and programs that promote a balance of proper nutrition and regular physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. In a healthy school environment, students will learn about and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices that can improve student achievement. SASD (2006)

HealthierUS School Challenge Food Quality Nutritional education Resources School food suppliers Monetary incentives Let’s Move (n.d.)

HealthierUS School Challenge Sign up Menu Planner for Healthy Schools Meals Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Let’s Move (n.d.)

The 2,983 elementary age children of SASD thank you! SASD (2011)

References Barness, L. (2007). Obesity in Children. Fetal & Pediatric Pathology, 26(2), doi: / Boone-Heinonen, J., Gordon-Larsen, P., & Adair, L. (2008). Obesogenic Clusters: Multidimensional Adolescent Obesity-related Behaviors in the U.S. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 36(3), doi: /s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2006). National Center for Health Statistics, Retrieved March 17, 2010 from Cullen, K., & Watson, K.. (2009). The Impact of the Texas Public School Nutrition Policy on Student Food Selection and Sales in Texas. American Journal of Public Health, 99(4), Retrieved April 14, 2011, from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: ). Foster, G. (2006). The Behavioral approach to treating obesity. American Heart Journal, 151(3), doi: /j.ahj Let’s Move. (n.d.). Healthy Schools. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from

References Magryta, C.J. (2009). School lunches: a strategy to combat childhood obesity. Explore, 5(6), Souderton Area School District (SASD). (2006) Student Wellness. Retrieved April 20, 2011 from Souderton Area School District (SASD). (2011). About Us. Retrieved April 20, 2011 from Schonfeld-Warden, N, & Warden, C. (1997). Pediatric obesity - an overview of etiology and treatment. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 44(2), Story, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & French, S. (2002). Individual and Environmental Influences on Adolescent Eating Behaviors. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102S40-S51. doi: /S (02) Sutherland, R., Gill, T., & Binns, C. (2004). Do parents, teachers and health professionals support school-based obesity prevention?. Nutrition & Dietetics, 61(3), Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Academic Search Complete database.

Suggested Reading Power, T., Bindler, R., Goetz, S., & Daratha, K. (2010). Obesity Prevention in Early Adolescence: Student, Parent, and Teacher Views. Journal of School Health, 80(1), doi: /j x.