Why School Wellness?

Children spend a large part of their lives in school. They begin attending school at age five – and in many cases, especially with children from low-income families, at age four or even three – and most remain there until age 18. Nearly every school in the nation serves at least one and often two meals a day, five days a week, over all these years.”

-- Fighting Obesity in Public Schools, The Future of Children, Haskins, Paxson, Donahue, Princeton, Brookings, Spring 2006

• Nine million children are overweight - the rate has more than tripled since 1980 for children ages six to 11.

• 8% to 45% cases of newly diagnosed childhood Type 2 diabetes are associated with obesity.

• 98% of six to 18-year-olds report eating at least three snacks a day and 50% report more than five snacks daily.

• Only 20% of schools provide reimbursable school meals that meet the USDA mandated standard for fat and saturated fat.

• About 6% to 8% of schools nationally provide students with daily physical education and fewer than 25% of American children get at least 30 minutes of any type of physical activity every day.

According to a 2005 GAO report, in the past 30 years the rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled for children between the ages of six and 11. This increase has been associated with an increase in chronic illnesses and other health problems in children. We urgently need to make student health and fitness a top priority in our nation’s schools. The reasons for schools to engage in wellness programs are clear:

Schools have a unique opportunity to address student wellness

Because of the amount of time children spend at school from the ages of five to 18, schools have an opportunity to influence the nutrition children receive on a regular basis. Research indicates that schools can have a significant impact on students’ food choices. It also shows that schools are in a unique position to educate children and families about nutrition and can help establish good health habits for life. In fact, schools could become models for health promotion that can influence behaviors and attitudes at home and throughout the community.

Wellness is part of schools' fundamental mission

Schools have historically sought to provide young people with the knowledge and skills they need to become healthy and productive adults. Recognizing this, the federal government recently enacted a law requiring all schools participating in the federal school lunch program to create local wellness policies addressing nutritional standards for all foods sold at school, goals for nutrition education and physical activity, and a process for measuring the impact on student health. Recognizing that having a policy is just the beginning, schools are seeking additional information and support to meet their performance goals.

Schools that address student wellness show gains in learning

A commitment to proper nutrition and physical fitness produces many benefits for schools, including improving students’ readiness to learn. Well-fed, healthy children have been shown to concentrate better and have fewer absences. Schools that take a coordinated approach to wellness also report better attendance, increased participation in physical fitness and greater interest by students in healthier diets.

There are many ways for schools to improve student wellness

Replacing soda with 100 percent fruit juice and milk in vending machines or eliminating junk food from the school store, as many schools have done, can make a difference and will get things moving in the right direction. Many schools have initiated further efforts, such as health marketing, classroom curricula, nutrition education, behavioral training and parental involvement. Research shows that strategies like these are important for preventing overweight and obesity in youth.

The benefits don't end with the students

Everyday in the United States 53 million people go to school to work or to learn. That's about one in six Americans who will spend around 30 hours of their week in a school. As a result, schools offer a powerful opportunity to shape the health, education and well-being of Americans of all ages. School Wellness programs have been shown to improve the performance and productivity of teachers and other staff. They offer positive benefits to parents and others in the surrounding community who come in contact with the school's environment.