How Boston Public Schools are trying to curb childhood obesity

When it comes to childhood obesity, the state of Massachusetts falls right in the middle of national rankings with a rate of 30 percent. Mississippi has the highest childhood obesity rate at 44.4 percent, and Minnesota and Utah tie for the lowest at 23.1 percent. So what is Massachusetts doing right in their public schools, and how are they constantly trying to improve?

For starters, Boston Public Schools are a part of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The Alliance works to positively affect the places that can make a difference to a child's health, such as homes, schools, restaurants, doctor's offices, and communities. The Alliance's Healthy Schools program supports more than 7,800 schools across the nation in their efforts to create environments where physical activity and healthy eating are accessible and encouraged.

In the past 30 years childhood obesity rates have tripled, with almost one thirds of adolescents (ages 4-18) being considered obese in 2009. "This issue has been on the back burner but now it's on the front burner and is really hot," Jean Levins, Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services and School Operations for Boston Public Schools said.

Levins said that the biggest changes really began about six years ago. That was when Boston Public Schools, along with all food service operations in the city, first adopted a Zero Trans Fat policy as well as lowered the salt and fat allowances in their foods. Since then the process has been marked by other small, gradual changes. For example, in 2004 Boston Public Schools were serving what Levins likes to refer to as "junk juice", juice drinks that contain 15 percent or less actual fruit juice. In the following years Boston Public Schools gradually increased their real fruit juice percentage requirements an are now up to serving only 100 percent juice with no artificial sweeteners. The next step for this situation, Levins said, is "to reduce the juice quantity". Boston Public Schools will now be working towards reducing the size of their juice beverages from 16oz to 11oz. Soda has never been allowed to be bought or sold in Boston Public School buildings.

"Everyone is getting on the band wagaon," Levins said. "Industries, manufactureres, cities, states...everyone is working towards a healthier America."

Another big change has been an increase in the availability of fruits and vegtables at schools across the nation, as well as the use of fresh produce in preparing lunches.

Boston Public Schools has recently been pushing a FARMS program, which thanks to a federal grant, brings fruits and vegetables from local Massachusetts farms into the schools. "We are trying to get away from shipping fruits in from California that are covered with protective wax coatings," Levins said. "Buying locally gives us much better quality fresh things to provide to our kids."

In conjunction with the FARMS program, Boston Public Schools is running a Chef's in School Program sponsored by Project Bread. The program is designed to show schools how to properly cook with all the fresh produce, and how to comply with HACCP standards to prevent food born illnesses and get the produce "from field to plate in a way that is safe for consumption," Levins explained.

Boston Public Schools are also trying to increase their nutrition education in classrooms and promote more physical activity through physical education classes, recess, after school activities, and sports. "We do these things because our kids need better health," Levins said. "We need to lower child obesity rates, we need to decrease the cases of type II diabetes, we need to decrease possibilties of high blood pressure." The education part is important, Levins says, because you can't just tell kids what they can and can't eat. "Kids are very stubborn and defiant," she said. "You need to educate them starting at a young age about what they need to do, and then let them make the decision on their own."

Levins said she has noticed changes in the way kids are making food choices. "They are steering towards healthier options now," she said. "Kids want milk, kids are asking for broccoli." Though the process is still a work in progress, Levins believes the efforts will begin to show in the near future, especially with the Obama administration now on board with making school lunch rooms more nutritious places.

However, it was strssed by Levins that the schools are just one piece of the puzzle. She said to curb childhood obesity it needs to be a community effort. Governments, schools, restaurants, and most importantly the families at home all need to be involved with the process and continue to do more and more in making healthy changes. "If we keep going and everyone joins forces," Levins said, "we can't help but become winners in this."

The Obama Administration's goals regarding junk food in schools

With first lady Michelle leading the way, the Obama administration is making efforts to remove junk food from schools. The legislation, which has yet to be officially introduced, would ban items such as candy and sugary beverages from schools, and require the schools to replace those with more nutritious options. It's possible the legislation would go as far as insisting that vending machines remaining on school property be "filled with nutritious offerings to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation's children," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the New York Times.

Junk food has been banned from official school breakfast and lunch programs for years now, but many schools offer sugary treats and fatty snacks outside of the programs through vending machines, a la carte services, or school stores. The money made off of these types of food sales is typically used to finance sports and other extracurricular activities.

Money seems to be the biggest concern for school boards, who are afraid the new requirements would further strain already stressed budgets. Food offerings that are more nutritious also tend to be more expensive. According to a New York Times report, the administration has proposed spending an additional $1 billion each year on the now $18 billion meals program, but this may still not be enough to cover the difference.

Many schools have been working on their own the last few years to make positive changes in nutrition and food offerings. In 2005 less than a third of school districts had limits on students' access to candy and sugary drinks. By 2008 that share increased to two-thirds according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The School Health Policies and Program Study is a national survey that takes an in depth look at school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom level. Conducted every six years, the most recent report covers 2000-2006. In this period the number of schools offering bottled water increased 16 percent, while schools that allowed the purchase of items such as non-low fat baked goods and ice creams, non-low fat salty snacks, and whole milk all decreased by at least 10 percent.

The most recent development towards a healthier environment has been the American Beverage Associations voluntary action to take high calorie drinks out of schools. The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo now sell far more than just Coke and Pepsi, so instead of removing their vending machines, the companies just replace high calorie, high sugar drinks with items such as flavored water and juices.

While the ABA is trying to do their part Kevin Keane, senior vice president, has said that the industry does not favor the federal ban.

Why Care About Childhood Obesity and Nutrition in Schools?

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years. In 2009 between 16-33% of children and adolescents (ages 4-18) in the United States were considered overweight or obese.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity in children ages 6-11 increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. For adolescents ages 12-19 the increase was from 5% in 1980 to 18.1% in 2008.

Obesity is the result of a caloric imbalance, meaning too few calories are being expended for the amount of calories that are being consumed. Weight and obesity are mediated by genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Kids spend an average of 180 days a year (5 days per week) in school. School days run approximately seven hours long, which means most kids are eating at least one of their daily meals at school. The cafeteria is a place were parents are unable to monitor exactly what their kids are eating, or how much they are eating. Most students consume up to 50% of their daily calories while at school.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation says that across the nation, 83% of elementary schools, 97% of middle/junior high schools, and 99% of high schools sell food and beverages through vending machines, school stores, or a la carte in the cafeteria. But how healthy are those snack and meal options that students have to choose from? Are schools doing their party to encourage and help students make healthy food choices?