The nation's epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth is leading to interventions in schools nationwide to help develop healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Schools are an ideal setting for change because nearly all children are enrolled in school; schools have a unique ability to reach all children equally; promotion of healthy eating and physical activity has traditionally been part of the education experience; and research indicates a positive link between nutrition, physical activity and academic performance.
School meal programs, such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, provide children with nutritional and academic benefits. However, many children do not participate, in part because of the increased availability and marketing of competing foods sold in schools. Many of these competitive foods and beverages are high-calorie; low nutrient-dense foods are easily available in schools (e.g. a la carte, snack bars, vending machines, school stores). The nutritional value of these foods are only minimally regulated at the federal level and students often purchase these foods in addition to or instead of school meals.
There is recent federal commitment, however, to markedly improve schools health and wellness environment. As part of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, each school district participating in the federal meals programs must establish local school wellness policies that promote the health of students by the 2006-2007 school year. By law, local school wellness policies will have, in part, the following elements: