HY 03/07: Health and Wellness in School

Students are learning important lessons about nutrition, fitness

It didn’t make sense—students were learning how to care for their bodies in health class, but were getting unhealthy foods in the lunch line. In Pennsylvania, that’s changing thanks to a new law requiring schools to focus on wellness and proper nutrition.

“The goal is to lower the incidence of childhood obesity,” says pediatrician Michael Schwartz, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. According to a state health department study, an alarming 1 in 3 children in Pennsylvania is overweight. The new law makes sure children don’t have access to high-fat foods like french fries, or foods with “cheap” calories like soda and candy. Instead, school cafeterias are rolling out more fruits, vegetables and low-fat alternatives.

The state mandate also requires schools to calculate each student’s body mass index (BMI), or height-to-weight ratio. BMI tests are already required for students in grades K-8, and will be mandatory for high schoolers next year. Parents are sent the results and a letter explaining whether the BMI is above, below or within the healthy range for their child’s age and gender.

“Although it has limits—particularly in the case of highly trained athletes, because it doesn’t take muscle mass into account—BMI is a useful starting point in evaluating weight concerns,” Schwartz says. “Overweight children are more likely to develop high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, joint problems and sleeping disorders. That’s why parents should share BMI results with their family physician.”

While schools are making progress, Schwartz says, our society can do more to promote childhood fitness. “If every child went outside and exercised for one hour a day, we wouldn’t have a childhood obesity problem,” he says. “Children don’t burn calories playing video games.”

At least two local school districts agree with him, and have taken school wellness to the next level. Here’s what the East Penn and Wilson Area districts are doing to ensure that their students graduate healthy…

East Penn School District
In 2000, East Penn became the first district in the nation to implement a BMI screening program. “Since then, the number of overweight students here has remained stable and is below the national average,” says substitute superintendent George Ziolkowski, Ph.D.

Soda and sugary snacks were removed from vending machines and replaced with low-fat milk and fruit juice.

Lunch periods were lengthened from 30 to 40 minutes, giving students more time to make healthy food choices and eat comfortably.

Two elementary instructors were hired to teach nutrition and wellness education.

A $150,000 grant was used to purchase heart rate monitors. The monitors teach students in physical education classes how to achieve a healthy heart rate during exercise.

A summer fitness program and student walking club were organized.

Wilson Area School District

When there’s a planned or weather-related early dismissal, the daily schedule adjusts to guarantee lunch is served. “School is the main source of nutrition for many of our students,” says district superintendent Doug Wagner. “Our students will never go home hungry.”

Assemblies are held to encourage students to join school sports teams or extracurricular fitness activities.

To be better role models for students, school district employees started an eight-week competitive walking program. With a daily goal of 10,000 steps per employee, staff used pedometers to track progress.

While educators agree that children’s health and their ability to learn go hand-in-hand, Schwartz takes it a step further. “If you eat healthy and exercise regularly as a child, you’re more likely to do the same as an adult,” he says. “The bottom line—it’s easier to start good habits than break bad ones.”

Want to Know More about the new government guidelines or how to calculate BMI (there’s a new online method). Click above. Want to know more about the school nurse’s role, or how to keep children active? Click on the links in the column on the right side of this page.