This is just the kind of story I like to hear - some Philadelphia elementary schools made changes to fight fat… and they won big! It was all part of a government-funded study to see if a few healthy tweaks could reduce the number of overweight kids.
Ten Philadelphia schools were in this study. Half of them made healthy changes to their vending machines, cafeterias, and classrooms. The report focused on 4th, 5th, and 6th graders - about 40 percent of them were overweight or obese when the study started in 2002.
Here are some of the changes the five elementary schools made:
- Replaced sodas with fruit juice, water, and low-fat milk
- Snacks had to be low in salt, fat, and sugar
- Got rid of candy
- During recess, students were urged to exercise at activity stations
If the students made healthy food choices, they got raffle tickets to win prizes like bikes and jump ropes. And the schools spent a lot of time teaching kids, their parents and teachers about good nutrition. The result? Fewer overweight kids - the number of students who gained weight during the two-year program was half the number of those in schools who did not make these changes.
“We found when you give children healthy choices, they pick them,” says Grace McGinley, a school nurse at one of the test schools.
Other things that helped cut back on overweight kids included teaching staff, students, and parents about good nutrition. And using creative ways to reinforce the message. For example, food labels were used to help teach fractions. And a fundraiser successfully substituted fruit salad for baked goods.
After two years, not only were there fewer new overweight kids, but the overall number of overweight students at the five schools dropped about 10 to 15 percent. At the schools that didn’t make the changes, the number of overweight children went up a quarter - to 20 percent.
Some bad news - there was no difference between the two school groups as far as new obese students (6 percent) or the overall number of obese students (about 25 percent). The researchers think obese children probably benefit more when they are targeted individually.
True, there is still work that needs to be done, but the results of this study make me realize it can be done. You go, Philadelphia schools!
The study is in the April issue of the journal, Pediatrics.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: Children, obesity, Obesity Epidemic, overweight, overweight children, overweight kids, schools, weight loss
