Assessment for the Greater Kansas City Area

School Wellness Policies

What’s going on…

Societal shifts in policy, environments, food industry products and marketing and health behaviors

Impacts health Indicators of poor health - physical, psychosocial,

emotional, social, and school functioning – are present in obese children at 5.5 times the rate of their normal-weight peers (Schwimmer et al., 2003).

Impacts attendanceObesity better predictor of attendance than other

factors (Geier, et al 2007)

Impacts academic performanceOverweight or obese children in every grade

experience poorer academic outcomes than their normal-weight peers (Taras and Potts-Datema, 2005).

Why is this a concern?

Obesity is a Complex Issue

Solutions to the obesity epidemic must come from multiple sources, involve multiple levels and sectors, and take into account the synergy of multiple strategies. -IOM report: Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation, 2012

Increase academic performanceReduce absenteeismBuild healthy habits to last into

adulthood

Local school wellness policies provide unprecedented opportunities to address healthy eating and active living among school age children.

Lets focus on schools because…

Up to half of children’s waking hours are spent in school.

Local school wellness policies provide unprecedented opportunities to address healthy eating and active living among school age children.

Increase academic performanceReduce absenteeismBuild healthy habits to last into adulthood

Lets focus on schools because…

Reduced physical activity time as part of PEReduced recess timeFewer children walking or biking to schoolIncreased marketing of unhealthy foods to

children, including exposure in the school settingSales of foods and beverages of limited

nutritional value: in vending machines, school stores, snack bars, fundraisers

…compromise healthy school environments.

Policies, practices, and environments like these…

Federally mandated since 2004School district wellness policy provisions

have improvedHealthy Hunger Free Kids Act, 2010 – will

strengthen wellness policies with emphasis on ongoing implementation and assessment

KC Healthy Schools Committee represents schools and an impressive array of supporters

School Wellness Policies

Institute of Medicine: Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation (2012)

Goal: Make schools a national focal point for obesity prevention.

Recommendation:Federal, state, and local government and

education authorities, with support from parents, teachers, and the business community and the private sector, should make schools a focal point for obesity prevention.

Growing Evidence on What is Working

Strategies (IOM report, continued)Require quality physical education and

opportunities for physical activity in schools.

Ensure strong nutritional standards for all foods and beverages sold or provided through schools.

Ensure food literacy, including skill development, in schools.

Growing Evidence on What is Working

From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Strategies:

Reduce youths' exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods through regulation, policy and effective industry self-regulation.

Growing Evidence on What is Working

Cost-effectiveness of Obesity Interventions (Gortmaker, et al 2011)

Top interventions for cost savings and health promotionReduction of advertising of junk food and

beverages to childrenSchool-based education program to reduce

television viewingMulti-faceted school-based program including

nutrition and physical activitySchool-based education program to reduce sugar-

sweetened drink consumption

Growing Evidence on What is Working

Implementation has its own set of issues! (Amis, et al. 2012)Policy adoption and implementation “is a process,

not a single event”– shaped by many forcesunderlying values and cultural beliefs, and rules

towards these will influence whether polices are adopted and supported

many policies require additional resources to implement

“policy cacophony” (example: 50 new policies per year)

Emphasis on varsity sports has a detrimental effect on PE (HS level)

Growing Evidence on What is Working

Weighing InBuilding a Healthier HeartlandGreater KC Food Policy Coalition

VisionSchool-age children enjoy optimal growth and

development in the Kansas City area where active living and healthy eating

is supported for all

KC Healthy Schools Committee

Healthy Schools Committee

1. Assess school wellness policies in Greater Kansas City Schools

2. Identify supports needed, barriers and priorities to implement and enhance school wellness policies in schools

3. Identify priorities for collaborative action4. Generate attention and support for

improving school wellness policies

Current Focus

Thanks to the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City for funding support to Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics and the University of Kansas that are conducting

this assessment.

School Wellness Policy Assessment