“It is quite likely that children will continue to become fatter unless we make a concerted effort to create an environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle.”

“It is quite likely that children will continue to become fatter

unless we makea concerted effort

to create an environmentthat promotes

a healthy lifestyle.”

California Obesity Prevention Plan• How can schools help?

– Address the 8 components of coordinated school health:• Health education• Physical education• Parent/community/church involvement• Nutrition services• Health services• Psychological/counseling services• Safe and healthy school environment• Health promotion for staff

What else can schools do?

• Provide access to healthy foods and beverages

• Provide free access to fresh drinking water in eating areas

• Limit access to unhealthy foods and beverages on school grounds

• Provide quality nutrition and health education in schools and before-and-after-school program.

• Use alternatives to foods and beverages in fundraisers, celebrations, and incentives

• Provide opportunities for physical activity before, during, and after school for preschool- and school- aged youth. Require that students spend at least 50% of P.E. class time in moderate to vigorous physical activity– Encourage students to be active 30-60

minutes a day outside of school hours at least 3 days a week.

Additionally . . .

California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act

• Signed into law on 2003; updated 2010

• Sets nutrition standards for all beverages sold on elementary, middle and junior high campuses

Elementary Schools• Limits the sale of beverages to:

water milk – either fat free or low fat 100% fruit juices or fruit based drinks with no less than 50% fruit juice and no added sweeteners

• Sale of soda-type beverages is permitted for fundraising activities if pupils sell the products off school grounds or on school grounds at least 30 minutes after the end of the school day.

Middle and Junior HighPermitted Beverages

• Water• Milk –fat free or low fat• 100% Fruit Juice or fruit based drinks

with no less than 50% fruit juice and no added sweeteners

• Electrolyte replacement beverages with no more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20-oz serving

Middle and Junior High Schools

• Sale of soda-type beverages is prohibited from 30 minutes before school to 30 minutes after school

• Permitted beverages may be sold (including from vending machines) from 30 minutes before school to 30 minutes after school

• Soda-type beverages may be sold for fundraising during and at the location of an event after the end of the school day at least 30 minutes after the end of the school day.

Snacks standards:

• Not more than 35% of its total calories from fat (except legumes, seeds, nuts, eggs, vegetables, and cheese) • Not more than 10 percent of its total calories from saturated fat. • Not more than 35 percent of its total weight should be composed of sugars (excluding sugars occurring naturally in fruits, vegetables, and dairy ingredients)• Not more than 175 calories per item (Elementary)• Not more than 250 calories per item (Jr. and High Schools)

Fruits and vegetables should be offered.

Fact Sheets and BackgroundObesity and Other Diet-

Related Diseases in Children

• Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States.

• One quarter of children ages 5 to 10 years show early warning signs for heart disease

• Early signs of atherosclerosis• Incidence of type 2 diabetes in adolescents increased ten-

fold between 1982 and 1994.

• Diabetic complications like limb amputations, blindness, kidney failure, and heart disease will develop at younger ages.

• Children’s calorie intake increased by approximately 80 to 230 extra calories per day.

• Only 2% of children meet the recommendations for a healthy diet from the Food Guide Pyramid.

Unhealthy eating habits often begin in childhood

Childhood Obesity • Obesity rates have doubled in

children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades.

• Only 2% of California’s adolescents have eating habits that meet national dietary recommendations.

• Only 23% of pupils in grades 5, 7, and 9 are physically fit.

• Obesity increases the risk of high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes while still in childhood.

• Overweight and obesity can result in negative social consequences

Additional facts• Poor nutrition and physical

inactivity account for more preventable deaths (28%) than anything other than tobacco—

• 300,000 deaths in the U.S. per year are currently associated with obesity and overweight.

• Annual hospital costs for treating obesity-related diseases in children rising

• The total direct and indirect costs attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to 117 billion dollars in the year 2000.

• Each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soda increases a child’s risk for obesity by 60%.

• Three out of four American high school students do not eat the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

• Soft drink consumption doubled over the last 30 years.

• Consumption of soft drinks can displace low-fat milk and 100% juice from children’s diets.

• Teenage boys consume twice the recommended amount of sugar each

day. Teenage girls consume almost three times the recommended amount of sugar.

Vs.• Girls who drink colas are 5x’s more likely to

develop bone fractures; girls who drink other carbonated beverages are 3x’s more likely to suffer bone fractures than nonconsumers of carbonated beverages.

• Decreased milk consumption means that children are no longer getting required amounts of calcium in their diets.

• Milk is an important source of calcium to help children build strong bones.

• Sugared soda also increases the risk of dental caries and the low pH of soda can cause tooth erosion.

• The most common items for sale in vending machines, school stores, and snack bars.

• Children’s calorie intake increased by approximately 80 to 230 extra calories per day.

• Teens snacking more than they used to.

• Soft-drink consumption by children increased 40% between 1989 and 1996.

• For each additional can or glass of soda or juice drink a child consumes per day, the child's chance of becoming overweight increases by 60%.

• Soft drinks displace needed consumption of low-fat milk and 100% juice in children’s diets.

• Children and adolescents who are obese miss about 4 school days a month.

• Today children consume twice as much soft drinks as milk.

The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity 2001recommends that

"individuals and groups across all settings …[adopt] policies specifying thatall foods and beveragesavailable at schoolcontribute toward eating patterns that are consistent withthe Dietary Guidelines for Americans."

• Set nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold at school − Limit the sale and availability of soft drinks, fruit “drinks” and “ades” (Fruitopia, Snapple, etc.), sports drinks, and other sugary drinks.

• Improve the nutritional quality and "kid-appeal" of school meals. − Help schools to meet the USDA’s nutrition standards for school meals. − Promote and serve more whole grains and fruits and vegetables.

• Reduce children’s intake of saturated fat.

Goals for Improving School Foods and Beverages

• Strengthen nutrition education in schools.

• Replace fundraisers that sell candy or other junk food with healthy alternatives.

• Give children enough time to eat.

• Oppose your school entering into an exclusive soft drink contract.

• Encourage parents and kids to pack healthy lunches.

• Keep campuses closed during lunch.

• Reduce junk-food marketing on school campus.

• Keep brand-name fast food out of school cafeterias.

• Offer healthy foods and beverages at school functions, school parties, and staff events.

Nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold or served at school might include:Beverages that may be sold or served at school: • Fruit-based drinks that contain at least 50 percent fruit juice and that do not contain added sweeteners. • Water. • Low-fat or fat-free milkBeverages that may not be sold or served at school: • Soda pop, sports drinks, punches, and iced teas. • Fruit-based drinks that contain less than 50 percent real fruit juice or that contain added sweeteners. • Drinks containing caffeine

Summary of Recommended Nutrition Standards for Foods and

Beverages Sold at School

Selling low-nutrition foods in schools contradicts nutrition education and sends children the message that good nutrition is not important. The school environment should reinforce nutrition education in the classroom and model healthy behaviors.