Title: THE LEARNING CONNECTION: The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools
1THE LEARNING CONNECTION The Value of Improving
Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools
- Presented by
- Presenters
- Presenters Title
- Washington Action For Healthy Kids
- Date
2Overview of the Problem
- The majority of American youth are sedentary and
do not eat well. - These unhealthy practices lead to health and
learning problems. -
- It is critical to bring to our attention that
there are costs to poor nutrition and physical
inactivity.costs on health and, importantly,
costs to our schools.
3The Facts
- Only 2 of school-aged children consume the
recommended number of servings from all food
groups - More than 80 percent of children and adolescents
eat too much total fat and 90 percent eat too
much saturated fat - Fewer than one in four American children get 30
minutes or more of physical activity per dayand
more than three in four get no more than 20
minutes of vigorous physical activity per week - 9 million school-aged children and adolescents
are overweight to a degree that directly affects
their health (16 national average)
4Schools Can Make A Difference
- Some schools practices and policies can
aggravate students health and can interfere with
their readiness to learn - Evidence suggests that addressing students
health can help schools to meet performance goals
and alleviate financial constraints - Schools play a critical role in helping students
and themselves by addressing nutrition and
physical activity - By collaborating with many stakeholders, schools
can take immediate action that will help to
address these issues.
5Connection to Learning
- Poor nutrition has a negative impact on learning
- Undernourished children attain lower scores on
standardized tests, are more irritable, have
difficulty concentrating and have less ability to
resist infection and may miss more school - Well nourished students who skip breakfast
perform worse on tests and have poor
concentration - Poor nutrition and hunger interfere with
cognitive function and are associated with lower
achievement
6Connection to Learning
- Being physically active has a positive impact
- One study linked physical activity to stronger
academic achievement, increased concentration,
and improved math, reading, and writing scores. - Another study found that students participating
in daily physical education exhibit better
attendance, a more positive attitude toward
school, and superior academic performance. - Physical activity among adolescents is
consistently related to higher levels of
self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and
stresseach of which has been associated with
better academic performance. - Moderate physical activity has positive impact on
immune functionthis can help to prevent colds
and flu.
7A More Tenuous Link
- Evidence of a direct effect of weight on
achievement is less conclusive, however emerging
research shows an association. - A 2003 JAMA study found that severely overweight
children and adolescents were 4 times more likely
than healthy children and adolescents to report
impaired school functioning - A 2004 study of 11,192 kindergartners found that
overweight children had significantly lower math
and reading test scores at the beginning of the
year than did their non-overweight peers, and
that these lower scores continued into first
grade.
8Overweight and Learning
- Associations between weight problems and
achievement do not imply causation, as there are
a number of relating factors - Underlying cause of overweight -- poor nutrition
and inactivity -- affect learning - Being overweight can impact a students health
and leads to increased absenteeism - Overweight children face more psychological
problems and studies show these students may be
victims of bullying or be bulliesthis can
interfere with readiness to learn
9Economic Strains on Schools
- Comprehensive analysis to evaluate the impact of
poor nutrition, inactivity and increasing number
of overweight students on schools ability to
manage within its budget has not been conducted. - However, there are subtle and indirect ways that
these factors are taking an economic toll on our
schools - Reduced state funding
- Indirect/hidden costs
10Reduced State Funding
- In nine states, that collectively serve more than
one-third of all students in the U.S., state
funding for schools is determined by the number
of students that show up for school average
daily attendance. - In these states, a single-day absence by one
student can cost a school district between 9 -
20 dollars. - This adds up quickly to estimate the potential
cost of poor nutrition, inactivity and weight
problems might pose on these districts, The
Finance Project made projections based on percent
of American children that are overweight to a
degree that affects their health (16)
11Costs of the Status Quo
- Current practices and policies include selling
and promoting low-nutrient, high-calorie foods in
an attempt to generate revenue - Some school practices and policies have cut back
on physical education, recess and other physical
activity opportunities to increase classroom time
as a way to boost achievement - These strategies are not proven to meet those
objectives and, unknowingly, are counterproductive
12Nutrition Practices Today
- Research shows that selling competitive foods can
drive students to these foods and beverages and
away from the school meal programs - Schools can help their budgets via reimbursements
from participating in school lunch and breakfast
programs - If students are not participating, dollars from
reimbursement decrease - Finances could improve by increasing
participation in these programs - And, studies do indicate children that consumer
school meal program have better nutrient
consumption
13Physical Activity Practices
- The National Association for Sport and Physical
Educations recommends elementary schools offer
225 minutes of physical education per week and
that secondary schools offer 150 minutes per week - However, just 8 percent of elementary schools,
6.4 percent of middle/junior high schools, and
5.8 percent of senior high schools provide daily
physical education. - Increasingly, schools have reported cutting back
or not increasing programs to meet these
recommendations in order to give more class time
to reading and math
14The Bottom Line
- It is in schools own interest to address these
issues discussed. - Solutions lie in partnerships and collaborations
- AFHK is dedicated to improving childrens health
and their readiness to learn through better
nutrition and physical activity in schools - Private public partnership with thousands of
volunteers on state teams and over 40 national
organizations representing education, health,
fitness and nutrition
15Our Vision
- Schools provide an environment that fosters the
development of lifelong habits of good nutrition
and physical activity for all children - Our aim is to
- Enhance the learning potential of all children,
- Slow the rate of increase in overweight and
obesity, - Increase efforts that lead to the prevention of
overweight and obesity among youth.
16Actions Schools Can Take
- Form a school health advisory council
- Develop a comprehensive wellness policy
- Integrate physical activity and nutrition into
the school day - Incorporate nutrition and physical activity into
after school programs - Encourage staff to model healthy lifestyles
17www.ActionForHealthyKids.org
- We must understand this important truth that
improving childrens health likely improves
school performance. It may even help a schools
bottom line.
18Actions School Districts Can Take
- Develop a comprehensive wellness policy for
schools in your district - Develop a district level school health advisory
council - Keep nutrition and physical activity on the
agenda at your local, district, and state school
boards - Contact your AFHK State Team or visit our website
for resources and to learn more
19Actions Individuals Can Take Now!!!!
- Join your AFHK State Team!!!!
- Be an advocate for better nutrition and physical
activity in your local school. - Spread the Word!!!!! Dont keep this information
to yourself. Share this information and
encourage others to get involved. - www.actionforhealthykids.org
20Schools Must Be Part of the Solution
- Why are schools so important?
- Children and teens spend 2,000 hours each year at
school - Feeding programs are already in place
- Schools are a great equalizer all children have
equal access to information about nutrition and
physical activity - Schools have an opportunity to create the type of
environment that students are being taught in the
classroom
21AFHK Approach
Establish State and National coalition Private-p
ublic partnerships
Produce programs and projects for state teams
to help schools adopt CTC goals
Assess actions Determine what works, under what
conditions Identify models
Communicate Findings tools Stimulate more
schools to change Recognize successes
This will result in children developing
Positive eating and activity patterns
Healthy schools, healthy children and healthy
communities
22Focus on Commitment to Change
- Serves as framework for planning action
- Collaboration of multi-discipline group essential
for success - Details specific actions necessary to create
healthy schools that promote sound nutrition
physical activity - Increasing health, physical nutrition education
- Increasing physical activity (recess, PE, after
school) - Ensuring health promoting foods are available
throughout the school environment