Congress passed laws in 2004 and 2010 requiring schools to implement wellness policies to promote student health. These policies must include nutrition and physical activity goals, and be publicly reported on periodically. The policies aim to address childhood obesity by encouraging healthy eating and daily physical activity. Parents and the community are encouraged to get involved by supporting their school's wellness initiatives.

2.  Congress recognized the important role schools
play in promoting health. In 2004, Congress
passed the Child Nutrition and Women Infants
and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act that
required by law all education agencies
participating in the National School Lunch
Program to create local wellness policies. Each
education agency was responsible for
developing their own wellness policy so that
individual needs could be addressed (CDC,
2011b).

3.  New provisions for local wellness policies
were added in 2010 when Congress passed
the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The
provisions require agencies to be measured
periodically on the extent of compliance with
the local wellness policy and the progress
made in achieving the goals of the individual
policy. These assessments must be made
available to the public by the end of the 2012
school year (CDC, 2011b).

4.  Nutrition promotion and education goals
 Physical activity goals
 Nutrition guidelines to reduce childhood obesity
and promote health
 Educate and update the community about the
content and implementation
 Be periodically measured on compliance with
the policy and the progress made in attaining
the goals set forth. Progress assessments must
be made publicly available.
(CDC, 2011b)

5.  Permit parents, students, school health
professionals, physical education teachers,
school administrators, food authority
representatives, the school board, and the
general public to participate in the
development, execution, and update of the
policy (CDC, 2011b).The greater the diversity of
members involved in the wellness policy
process, the greater the chance to develop
extensive support for wellness policies (School
Wellness Policies, 2007).

6.  In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has
tripled (CDC, 2011a).
 Obesity affects 17% of children in the United
States (CDC, 2011a).
 More than 23 million children and teens, one
in three young people, are overweight or
obese in the United States today (RWJF,
n.d.).

7.  Obese children are at an increased risk for
sleep apnea, asthma, joint
problems, gallstones, reflux, diabetes, hypert
ension, and high cholesterol. Overweight
children are more likely to become obese
adults and adult obesity is associated with
heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers
(CDC, 2011a).

8.  Childhood obesity threatens the health of
young people and puts their future potential
at risk. Obese youth miss more school, have
an increased risk for developing social and
psychological problems including poor self-
esteem and discrimination (CDC, 2011a).

9.  Physically active children are more likely to
be attentive, motivated, and achieve
academic success (Pekruhn, 2009).
 Participating in regular physical activity
during childhood and adolescence helps
reduce anxiety and stress, increases mood,
concentration, and self-esteem which
influence learning (Pekruhn, 2009).

10.  Join the wellness policy revision committee at
your child’s school
 Encourage the school to adopt healthier food
choices and proper portion sizes (School
Wellness Policies, 2007).
 Encourage the school not to eliminate recess as
a form of punishment
 Encourage physical education daily at school
(School Wellness Policies, 2007).
 Increase your child’s physical activity at home
(School Wellness Policies, 2007).

11.  Learn about the scope of the wellness policy at
your child’s school
 Follow the school’s progress to ensure
accountability
 Help the school explore funding opportunities
for health initiatives (School Wellness Policies,
2007).
 Support restricting vending machine purchases
during the school day. The availability of junk
food in school can be attributed to
approximately one-fifth of the average increase
in adolescent weight (Pekruhn, 2009).

12.  Children spend the majority of their day at school making
the education system a valuable tool for promoting healthy
nutrition.
 Schools have the ability to encourage students to make
healthy choices by increasing access to nutritious
foods, physical activities, and through curricula (Schwarz
& Aratani, 2011). However, the school alone cannot
combat the obesity epidemic.
 Your help is needed too! As parents, you have a
responsibility to develop healthy habits in your child. Get
involved at your child’s school to ensure your child has
healthy food choices and participates in daily physical
activity.
 Your dedication, support, and encouragement can make a
difference!

13.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]
(2011a). Childhood overweight and obesity.
Retrieved November 14, 2011 from
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(2011b). Local school wellness policy. Retrieved
November 14, 2011 from
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/npao/wellness.h
tm
 Pekruhn, Colin. (2009). Preventing Childhood
Obesity: A School Policy Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/20090506nasb
eguide.pdf

14.  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). (n.d.).
Childhood obesity. Retrieved November 14, 2011 from
http://www.rwjf.org/healthpolicy/childhoodobesity/index
.jsp
 School Wellness Policies. (2007). Legislator Policy Brief.
Retrieved from
http://www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/C87EB2
8D-B2F6-4399-B1BD-
BC5617940019/0/SchoolWellnessPoliciesFINAL.pdf
 Schwarz, S. & Aratani, Y. (2011). Improving the odds for
adolescents: State policies that support adolescent health
and well-being. Retrieved from
http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_1034.pdf