2064 children carried an actigraph accelerometer for 7 days and filled in a food questionnaire. Results indicate that almost 70% of children meet national PA guidelines, indicating that a prevention of decline, rather than increasing physical activity levels, might be an appropriate intervention target. Promotion of daily fruit and vegetable intake in this age group is also warranted, possibly focussing on children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Archive for category School nutrition
Breakfast for learning
Nov 18
Food Research & Action Center in Washington DC prepared this 5 page review of resent scientific research on the link between children’s nutrition and academic performance.
144 children at 7 elementry schools in California were followed. There was significantly more discouragement of physical activity during organized adult-led sessions (29%) as compared to the free play sessions (6%). The quality of after-school programs can be improved by providing fruits and vegetables as snacks; offering more free play activities; training the after-school staff in simple, structured games for use in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings; and training after-school moderate and vigorous physical activity and healthful eating in and out of the after-school setting.
Project Energize
Nov 16
Project Energize aim to increase activity and improving nutrition through a schools-based programme. This article describe design, programme, randomisation and evaluation methodology. 62 New Zealand primary schools with 62 control schools, each limb containing about 11,000 students. End-point measures include body composition and associated physical characteristics, fitness, home and school environment and practice.
The Medical College of Georgia FitKid Project started in the fall of 2003 in 18 elementary schools. Half of the schools were randomized to an after-school program that included moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, healthy snacks, homework assistance, and academic enrichment. The results in terms of costeffectiveness was published early this month.
This study evaluated weight self-perception in 4.167 14-15 years old children in London, UK. Weight perceptions were recorded on a simple scale from ‘too thin’ to ‘too fat’. Results indicated that under-estimation was more common than over-estimation, with more than a quarter of overweight or obese adolescents unaware of their excess weight.
Analysis compared the nutrient values of meals offered by major fast food companies with restaurants in Texas. Nutritional quality of kids meals was assessed primarily by using criteria from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Only 3 percent of kids meals met all NSLP criteria.
Schools need to upgrade their furniture because today’s children have outgrown the tables and chairs designed to meet the needs of 1960s pupils. Former education secretary Charles Clarke warns that a generation of children could suffer from back problems as the result of squeezing into ill-fitting furniture for hours every day.
The US school fruit program has expanded to include all 50 states and will provide nearly $49 million this school year to help educators boost students’ consumption of fresh produce.
UK Schools Secretary Ed Balls said that teenagers should be forced to stay in school at lunchtimes to stop them going out for junk food. He also called for councils to stop takeaways from opening near to schools.