Thursday, July 30, 2009
Report: Many school wellness programs are failing
Legally mandated school wellness programs are weak and fail to provide students with adequate nutrition and physical activities, according to a new report (.pdf file) from Bridging the Gap, a youth-focused research branch of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 required schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to establish a wellness program by the first day of the 2006-07 school year. However, the report found guidelines for these programs are not specific, causing many programs to be ineffective, a RWJF press release said.
Although most school districts enforced strong nutritional guidelines for school lunches, the same standards did not apply to vending machines, school stores or a la carte lines – meaning children still had access to unhealthy foods. The report also found that only 30 percent of schools required physical activities outside of standard physical education classes, and only 18 percent of elementary school students participated in daily recess.