School Nutrition Programs
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| January 2003 |
Action for Healthy Kids: What is Indiana Doing?
The national Healthy Schools Summit (held October 7-8, 2002) was a collaborative effort of more than 30 leading education and health organizations dedicated to improving child health through improved nutrition and physical activity. Developed in response to recent reports linking student health to student achievement as well as to the Surgeon General's recent report, The Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, the Summit focused on positive actions schools can take to improve children's health, nutrition, and fitness. Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, and Mrs. Laura Bush, served as Summit Chair and Honorary Chair respectively.
This event launched an ongoing, nationwide initiative led by an Action for Healthy Kids team in nearly every state. State teams are charged with developing and implementing action plans to identify and promote real, concrete solutions for better student nutrition and physical activity in the school environment. Existing programs that are improving student nutrition and physical activity at the local and/or national level were identified and may be found on the web at: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/asps/whatsworking.asp.
The Action for Healthy Kids Indiana Team also functions as a subcommittee of the Indiana Coordinated School Health Advisory Council (ICSHAC). This council was created in June 2002 through the State Superintendent's Office. Because of similar goals, the Council and State Team will work together, side by side, instead of duplicating work throughout the state. The State Team will retain its own identity from the ICSHAC.
Scheduled to meet twice a year, the council last met on December 13, 2002. The following Action For Healthy Kids State Team goals were targeted (for this year) and a subcommittee assigned for each goal.
#1 - Provide age-appropriate and culturally sensitive instruction in health education and physical education that help students develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors to adopt, maintain, and enjoy healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle. (This goal is similar to a goal from the Indiana Coordinated School Health Advisory Council, so it was decided that the Council and the State Team would work towards this goal together.)
#5 - Provide food options that are low in fat, calories and added sugars, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods.
#10 - Provide daily recess periods for elementary school students, featuring time for unstructured but supervised active play.
Future goal to work on: #12 - Encourage the use of school facilities for physical activity programs offered by the school and/or community-based organizations outside of school hours. Plans also include issuing a survey to members of the Indiana Principal Leadership Academy with the hope of obtaining helpful information about school scheduling.
Subcommittee Chairs include:
| Goal #1 Goal #5 Goal #10 |
Casey McIntire Beth Foland and Alyce Fly, Co-Chairs Cindy Batalis. |
The Indiana State Team will meet on January 29, 2003 at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport office in Indianapolis.