Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in our Schools

Posted by on October 29, 2004

IMPROVING NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN OUR SCHOOLS
A new report by Action for Healthy Kids calls on schools to take action to address students’ poor-nutrition and physical inactivity. “Schools have the unique opportunity — even the responsibility — to teach and model healthful eating and physical activity, both in theory and in practice. Improving children’s health likely improves school performance, and it may even help a school’s bottom line. Therefore, schools have a vested interest in improving the nutrition and increasing the physical activity of their students,” said Dr. David Satcher. The report, “The Learning Connection: The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools,” cites how schools may be losing critical state dollars when students are absent due to health problems caused by poor nutrition and physical inactivity. Action for Healthy Kids recommends that schools consider implementing “best practices” for nutrition and physical activity throughout the school campus. To help improve students’ health and readiness to learn, schools need to include daily physical activity, provide health and physical education, increase the availability of health-promoting foods and beverages, and offer more after-school programs that provide nutritious snacks, physical activity and nutrition education.
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/AFHK/specialreports/index.htm