Transcript Collaborating for School Wellness

Addressing Childhood
Obesity Through School
Wellness Policies
Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, MS, RD
Executive Director
Overview
• Background on Action for Healthy Kids
• Details on wellness policy mandate
• Challenges and opportunities for assistance
2
Rising to the Challenge …
Action for Healthy Kids
• Only nonprofit organization formed specifically to address the
epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth
by focusing on changes at school
• A private-public partnership formed as a response to the
Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease
Overweight and Obesity”
• Vision: Schools provide an environment that fosters the
development of lifelong habits of good nutrition and physical
activity for all children
– This is aimed at:
• Slowing the rate of increase in overweight and obesity,
• Leading to the prevention of overweight and obesity
in youth, and
• Enhancing the learning potential of each child.
3
Our Strength is Rooted in Dedication
A National Movement
> 5000
volunteers
51 State
Teams
4
52 National Partner
Organizations &
Government
Agencies
Partner Steering Committee
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences
American Association of School Administrators
American Cancer Society
American College of Spots Medicine
American Diabetes Association
American Dietetic Association
American Federation of Teachers
American Heart Association
American Public Health Association
American School Health Association
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Association of School Business Officials International
Association of State & Territorial Chronic Disease
Program Directors
Association of State & Territorial Health Officials
Association of State & Territorial Public Health
Nutrition Directors
Council of Chief State School Officers
Family, Career & Community Leaders of America
Food Research and Action Center
National Association for Sport and Physical Education
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Nurses
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Association of State Boards of Education
5
National Association of Student Councils
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
National Council of La Raza
National Dairy Council
National Education Association —
Health Information Network
National Future Farmers of America
Organization/Foundation
National Medical Association
National Middle School Association
National PTA
National School Boards Association
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
School Nutrition Association
Society for Nutrition Education
Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education
and Recreation
U.S. Department of Agriculture — Food and
Nutrition Service
U.S. Department of Education — Office of Safe and DrugFree Schools
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development
YMCA of USA
School Wellness Policy: Why?
• Reaches beyond USDA-funded meal programs to
influence childhood health
• Puts responsibility at the local level
• Recognizes the critical role of schools in curbing the
epidemic of childhood overweight
• Provides an opportunity for school districts to create
an environment conducive to healthy lifestyle choices
6
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Law
WHO:
Every local educational agency (LEA) participating in
a federal child nutrition program
WHAT:
Establish a local wellness policy for the LEA
WHEN:
Not later than June 30, 2006
Minimum Requirement of Wellness Policies
• Must have goals for nutrition education, physical
activity, and other school-based activities to promote
wellness
• Nutrition guidelines created by the LEA for all foods
available on each school campus during the school day
(outside of meal program)
• Nutrition guidelines for reimbursable school meals may
not be less restrictive then federal regulations
• Must have a plan for implementation that includes
designation by LEA of 1 or more persons charged with
oversight
• The development of local policy must involve parents,
students, school food personnel, school board,
administrators, and public
8
Development Process is Critical
• Create shared vision statement and policy
objectives
• Assess current policies and practice
• Consider unique needs of the district, the student
body and community, and available resources
• Seek input from experts in the community
• Explore community partnerships to support
efforts
• Be innovative: there is no one best solution or set
of solutions
• Evaluate experiences over time and evolve
9
Policy Process
6. Decide
next steps,
evolve
policies
5. Ensure
accountability
4. Monitor
process
and
evaluate
10
1. Form Team,
Assess Needs
2. Develop
policies nut
ed, physical
activity,
nutrition
stds, other
school areas
3. Promote and Implement Policies
Challenges
• Un-funded mandate
• USDA will not monitor
• Focus on performance goals
• Resource limitations
– Financial
– Staff
– Product, equipment
• Support and acceptance
– Students
– Parents
– Teachers, administrators
– Community
11
Opportunities for assistance
• Awareness building – educating about wellness policy
mandate, school needs for implementation
• Developing School Health Advisory Councils
• Program implementation
• Training and technical assistance
• Assess, evaluate and revise
12
Action for Healthy Kids’ Support
• Work with partner organizations to generate
awareness of and support for wellness policies
• Encourage and support parent and other stakeholder
involvement
• Provide resources for assisting in the development,
implementation and evaluation of Wellness Policies
– State Team developed recommendations, tools,
materials for school districts
– Web-based Wellness Policy tool
• State Team grants to help districts implement, monitor
and evaluate (Kellogg’s grant program)
• Identify and disseminate model approaches to
wellness practices
13
Wellness Policy Tool
• Helps districts
identify policy options
• Use template to create
own policy by cutting
and pasting language
from existing or model
policies from states
and districts around
the country
www.actionforhealthykids.org/resources_wp.php
14
Putting Wellness Practices in Place
• Utilize AFHK “Best Practice” Criteria to determine
best approaches for improving nutrition and physical
activity at various schools
• Use criteria for program development
• Essential Criteria -
represents level of
standards that all
approaches should strive
for
• Critical Criteria addresses the
adoptability of an
approach
15
Action for Healthy Kids
Help the Greatest Number of Children
by Changing their School Environment
800-416-5136
www.ActionForHealthyKids.org
16