August 2007

Back to School

As kids across the nation head back to school, they do so under a cloud. That cloud is the ever-rising rates of childhood obesity. But in the states with the highest obesity rates, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program is the sunlight behind that cloud. The program recently received a grant to help it expand the program, which was created in 2006 to help schools develop and implement policies and practices that promote healthy eating and increased physical activity for students and staff.

"The Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program will soon impact the lives of many more children throughout the country," said President Clinton, who co-leads the Alliance with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a press release announcing the expansion. "Through this expansion we will be able to ensure that more schools are healthier places for students by giving kids better food choices, increased opportunities for exercise and an education about how to live a healthier lifestyle."

The expansion will focus on the states with the highest obesity rates, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and West Virginia.

With the additional funds, the Alliance will be able to provide in-person support to more than 8,000 schools by 2010, a dramatic increase from the 230 schools currently receiving such guidance. The program will also expand online support for schools across the entire country

"To achieve our objective of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015, we must bring change to our nation's schools," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which provided the $20 million expansion grant. "Our children deserve better than junk food in the cafeteria and little opportunity for physical activity during the school day. The Healthy Schools Program has shown that change is possible, and we're pleased to support its expansion."

In addition to the expansion, the Alliance recognized 26 outstanding schools from 17 districts across the country for meeting the Healthy School Program's bronze-level criteria. These schools were praised for developing innovative wellness programming that appeals to both students and staff.

W.C. Britt Elementary School in Snellville, Ga., for example, was recognized for its free afterschool program, which features "wall soccer," the school's high-energy version of the game that aims to keep players on the move.

A Minnesota middle school was recognized for changing its lunch menu to include healthy items that students like to eat.

These schools and the others that were recognized are "…making a real difference in the lives of their students and staff," said Dan Jones, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. "Helping students make choices that will keep them strong and healthy can be as important as a science or math lesson. Our recognized schools are clearly creating healthier environments for their school communities."

What's your school doing to ensure the health of students and faculty? Do you want to get involved in the project? For more information, visit www.healthiergeneration.org.