Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

Another study has linked school meals with obesity among U.S. youth. According to researchers with the University of Michigan, middle school students who buy their lunch at school are more likely to be obese and to have higher levels of bad cholesterol.

• Dr. E. Elizabeth Jackson and her colleagues studied 1,300 sixth graders, asking them to report what they had eaten in one day.
  
• Among those who bought lunch at their school's cafeteria, 39 percent were obese -- compared to 24 percent of the children who bought their lunches from home.
  
• The children who bought lunch at school were more likely to consume sugared drinks and to eat fewer vegetables and fruits.

"Although this study does not address information on the nutrient content of school lunches," said Dr. Jackson, "it suggests there is a real opportunity to promote healthy behaviors and eating habits within the school environment."

The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology 59th Annual Scientific Sessions.

Labels: cafeterias, middle school

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

According to a Sept. 20 article by Democrat and Chronicle Stephanie Veale, parents of some New York schoolchildren may want to start packing both lunches and snacks for their kids:

As part of a nutrition audit released last week, the Comptrollers Office assessed the contents of 186 vending machines in 20 school districts statewide.

Three local districts  Gates Chili, Webster and Le Roy  were highlighted, and auditors found that many snacks available in these and other districts had higher-than-recommended levels of sugar and fat.

These snacks, auditors said, may lure children away from nutritious school lunches.

Snacks found in school vending machines included mint-flavored milk, iced animal cookies and caramel cookie candy bars, Veale reported. Some school officials said they felt the audit was unfair, as it used nutrition standards that have not yet been adopted by the state or the school districts in question.

Labels: schools, cafeterias

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

More than 350 Texas schools will be awarded more than $11 million worth of new kitchen equipment as part of the federal stimulus package. According to the North Texas News, the new equipment will go toward replacing components such as deep-fat fryers.:

The kitchen equipment purchased with these funds will allow schools to provide more nutritious meals to Texas school children and also help in the fight against childhood obesity, Commissioner [Todd] Staples said. "I am very proud of the accomplishments of our Texas schools as they take another step toward encouraging the 3 Es of Health Living: Education, Exercise, and Eating Right."

When the Texas Department of Agriculture announced that stimulus funds were available, it received requests from more than 3,000 schools. Though all the requests couldn't be met, 939 pieces of kitchen equipment will be provided, including ovens, freezers, steam tables, and food processors.

Labels: healthy_eating, schools, cafeterias

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

One in three high school cafeterias still sells junk foods, according to new data from the Center for Disease Control. However, this statistic represents progress. In 2004, 53 percent were selling candy and high fat, salty snacks; in 2006, the rate was 37 percent.

Dr. Howell Wechsler, director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health, said that schools are selling junk food because they need money. He admitted that food revenues drop during the first few years a school cafeteria substitutes healthy foods for the more popular but less nutritious ones. However, sales eventually climb, he said.

This study appears in the CDC Weekly Report on Morbidity and Mortality.

Labels: schools, cafeterias, junk_food

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

With students across the country now back in school, many parents are faced with the difficult challenge of making sure their kids eat healthy while away from home.

Though some schools have been struggling to increase the nutritional value of the food they serve, the good news is that many school cafeterias continue to offer healthier options.

 

The best advice for parents iincludes monitoring the options that are available in your children's schools, talking to children about nutrition, and packing a lunch when the school's offerings don't meet your standards.

Labels: nutrition, schools, cafeterias

Posted By: My Overweight Child 3 Comments