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RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: Simone A. French, Mary Story, Jayne A. Fulkerson, and Anne Faricy Gerlach Food Environment in Secondary Schools: À La Carte, Vending Machines, and Food Policies and Practices Am J Public Health 2003; 93: 1161-1168 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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West Virginia - creating a healthy environment at school

Sanjoy Roy   (11 November 2003)

West Virginia - creating a healthy environment at school 11 November 2003
Sanjoy Roy, Graduate Student - Pharmaceutical Systems & Policy West Virginia University Send letter to journal: Re: West Virginia - creating a healthy environment at school sroy{at}hsc.wvu.edu Sanjoy Roy	The authors acknowledge a potentially critical socioeconomic health challenge facing the United States. A review of relevant literature highlighted the fact that the issue of childhood and adolescent obesity is equally critical for the state of West Virginia - which, acoording to an early 2002 estimate - has a higher proportion of obese people (21.3 percent) than the national average of 17 percent.(1) In view of the social influences of the subjects in this age group, childhood or adolescent obesity or its prevention have been identified to be most likely influenced by one of the major factors that feature in everyday lives of the children of West Virginia – their school. Obviously, schools can therefore play a role in preventing childhood obesity by serving healthy meals with adequate calories and nutrients, providing nutrition education that encourages healthful food selections, offering opportunities for physical activity and creating school environments that model healthful behaviors.(2) It was with this view that in 1975, West Virginia's state school board had voted to prohibit soft drinks, candy, chewing gum and flavored ice, in order to attack cavities and malnutrition. The state legislature loosened the standards in 1996, allowing sales of soda in high schools. However, a 1999 estimate showed that 12.2 percent of West Virginia high school students were overweight, compared with 9.9 percent nationally. West Virginia high school students were also less active, with 38.2 percent enrolled in physical education classes in 1999, as opposed to the U.S. average of 56.1 percent.(3) Currently, West Virginia state board policy 4321.1 -- Standards for School Nutrition Policy – offers guidance on this issue. It sets the qualifications and requirements for school nutrition directors. It defines "candy" and "soft drinks" and sets nutrition standards for all foods or beverages made available on school premises during the school day. It stipulates, "No candy, soft drinks, chewing gum, or flavored ice bars will be sold or served during the school day, except that, county boards may permit the sale of soft drinks in county high schools except during breakfast and lunch periods." The West Virginia policy also requires any juice or juice products to contain 20% real juice. It does not allow selling or serving of any food containing 40% or more sugar by weight in the state’s schools. Additionally, schools are mandated to allow a minimum of 20 minutes for lunch.(4) Whether the rules have helped fight childhood obesity is difficult to measure, but safe to say that the situation could be worse today without this policy. Responding further to the national childhood obesity epidemic, West Virginia leaders in education, health and fitness have formed the state’s first Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) team in October 2002, dedicated to making meaningful changes in nutrition and physical activity for schools in the Mountain State. West Virginia Department of Education also started its own healthy child initiative last year by encouraging more physical activities everyday. (5) References: (1)Compton M.P. West Virginians Can Not Ignore Physical Inactivity. Associated Press, January 24, 2002. Available at: http://www.caloriecontrol.org/newsnet103.html (2)Harrison M.K., Peggs C. The role of schools in preventing childhood obesity. W V Med J. 2002 Nov-Dec; 98(6): 260-2. (3)Melendez, M.M. Healthful Fare Is Taking Junk Food's Place in School Vending Machines. Newhouse News Service. Jan 23, 2003. Available at: www.newhousenews.com/archive/melendez012303.html (4)Christie K. Even students are what they eat. Phi Delta Kappan; Jan2003, Vol. 84 Issue 5, p341, 2p (5)West Virginia Taking “Action for Healthy Kids” to Local Level. West Virginia department of Education. Aug 28, 2003. Available at: wvde.state.wv.us/news/657/