Nutrition/School Wellness__________________________________

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If we hope to reduce obesity in children, changes must be made beyond the school cafeteria. Parents can be champions in this effort. We know the stakes are high because:

• Overweight kids have a 70% chance of becoming overweight adults – increasing their risk for heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other health issues.
• One in 3 American children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
• Unhealthy dietary habits and sedentary behavior account for 300,000 deaths and $100 billion in healthcare costs each year.

Of course role modeling healthy behaviors and making healthy eating and physical activity easy for all family members will make a difference. We also know that we must provide healthy food not only in school cafeterias but in vending machines, school stores, concession stands and other venues within the school’s control. Obesity has been given national attention and with that attention come many tools and resources to make the necessary changes in our home, school and community. In order to know where to start consider the following:

• Nearly 80% of young people don’t eat recommended amounts of fruits & vegetables.
• 85% of adolescent girls don’t consume enough calcium.
• Milk consumption has decreased 36% among adolescent girls over the past 25 years.
• Soft drink consumption almost doubled among adolescent girls and nearly tripled among adolescent boys over the past 25 years.
• Almost one-third of students don’t receive recommended amounts of moderate and vigorous physical activity.

Leading the way with one small change can make a huge impact on the health of children and young people.

FREE Parent Workshop - 30 Minute Interactive workshop on School Wellness (pdf)

2003 Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is conducted every other year in Michigan and assesses a broad range of health practices among a cross section of the state’s high school students. The 2003 Michigan survey included 99 questions covering the behaviors related to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among both youth and adults. The behaviors are grouped into six general health risk areas: Unintentional injury and violence; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy or disease; dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity. To view the survey results go to: http://www.emc.cmich.edu/YRBS/2003/default.htm

Healthy Kids Healthy Weight - Tips for Families with Kids of all Shapes and Sizes

It is important for parents and caregivers to role model healthy behaviors, and to make healthy eating and physical activity easy for all family members. The Healthy Kids Healthy Weight Tips for Families fact sheets give great suggestions in an easy to follow format. Each fact sheet can be downloaded and used at home, put into a newsletter or distributed at a parent meeting. Go to: www.emc.cmich.edu/healthyweight/

Nutrition Tool Kit

The Nutrition Tool Kit is part of the Michigan Action for Healthy Kids Coalition. This tool kit entitled Tips and Tools To Help Implement Michigan’s Healthy Food and Beverages Policy gives success stories, suggestions for healthy school parties, healthy fundraising, healthy food and beverages for parent, teacher, staff meetings and student activities, provides alternatives to using food as a reward, tips on getting healthy food and beverages in your school, resources and much, much more. To download and duplicate copies for educational purposes go to www.emc.cmich.edu/pdfs/toolkitnutrition.pdf

Team Nutrition

USDA's Team Nutrition is an integrated, behavior based, comprehensive plan for promoting the nutritional health of the Nation's children. This plan involves schools, parents, and the community in efforts to continuously improve school meals, and to promote the health and education of 50 million school children in more than 96,000 schools nationwide.  Michigan Team Nutrition has information and resources on nutrition and physical activity as well as opportunities to apply for grants. Explore the Michigan Team Nutrition web site at www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/

Family Bookbag

The Family Bookbag was created so that children in grades K-12 and their families can have fun reading together at home, while at the same time learning about eating healthy and being physically active. To find out more about this program, go to www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/bookbagorder.pdf

Michigan Steps Up

Michigan’s Surgeon General, Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, invites families and communities to join Michigan Steps Up. Improving your health doesn’t always require big lifestyle changes. Just a little planning and a few small steps can add up to big rewards. When you log onto Michigan Steps Up you can set up a free customized personal plan that will help you set and track the goals that are important to you. www.michgianstepsup.org

School Wellness Policy

Schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical activity. The role of the schools was formalized when Congress passed a law (P.L.108–265) that requires each school district participating in the National School Lunch and/or Break-fast Program to establish a local wellness policy by the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year. The new law requires schools to include parents in developing a wellness policy.

About the Wellness Policy (pdf)

Easy Steps to Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHP) (pdf)

Helpful Links