With research like this - Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - available, it's a wonder that schools are still able to retain soda vending machine contracts. Fortunately, some states are waking up and have devised strict vending machine rules, both state- and district-wide.
The meta-analysis (full text available from the link above), published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2007 by Yale University, "found clear associations of soft drink intake with increased energy intake and body weight. Soft drink intake also was associated with lower intakes of milk, calcium, and other nutrients and with an increased risk of several medical problems (e.g., diabetes)."
This article, from the Chicago Tribune, details the changes in vending machine legislation in Illinois and other parts of the country (namely NY and CA). It also mentions that the re-authorization of the CNA (Child Nutrition Act) provides stricter regulations for vending machines across the country (awesome!) AND that school districts participating in USDA's HealthierUS School Challenge will have to abide by the stricter regulations outlined by the USDA.
One company helping schools to provide healthy snacks and drinks to students is The Answer Group, who recently won the contract for 500+ vending machines in New York City schools. The machines provide students with snacks such as mango slices, watermelon slices, apples slices, bananas, baby carrots, nut clusters, naturally flavored licorice and fruity waters. I say, let's get them into Chicago!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Research Relationships: Media, Body Fat, and Physical Activity
While doing research on the media and nutrition, I came across this fantastic meta-analysis from the International Journal of Obesity, entitled 'Relationships between media use, body fatness and physical activity in children and youth: a meta-analysis' (S. J. Marshall, S. J. H. Biddle, T. Gorely, N. Cameron, I. Murdey, 2004).
As I read the abstract, I was shocked to see that no strong correlation exists between media-viewing and body weight!
"While the total amount of time per day engaged in sedentary behavior is inevitably prohibitive of physical activity, media-based inactivity may be unfairly implicated in recent epidemiologic trends of overweight and obesity among children and youth."
The meta-analysis goes on to say that there might not be a strong relationship because of all the other factors involved with body weight and media use, which is understandable, however I was still surprised - because if kids are watching tv or playing video games, then they aren't outside exercising! Perhaps more interactive games, like the wii, have helped get kids moving? Very interesting.
As I read the abstract, I was shocked to see that no strong correlation exists between media-viewing and body weight!
"While the total amount of time per day engaged in sedentary behavior is inevitably prohibitive of physical activity, media-based inactivity may be unfairly implicated in recent epidemiologic trends of overweight and obesity among children and youth."
The meta-analysis goes on to say that there might not be a strong relationship because of all the other factors involved with body weight and media use, which is understandable, however I was still surprised - because if kids are watching tv or playing video games, then they aren't outside exercising! Perhaps more interactive games, like the wii, have helped get kids moving? Very interesting.
Learning for the Kids
Just found this great learning tool by searching on merlot.org - check it out at Obesity in Kids. It has fun question and answer activities for the little guys to begin to learn about weight and nutrition!
Lincoln Park's Finest...
And no, I don't mean frat boy all-stars.
I'm talking about the Green City Market, Chicago's only year-round farmers' market! In the winter, Green City is housed at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and then outside in Lincoln Park (near Clark and Lasalle) when the weather gets nicer. Green City is always busy, and it promotes local, sustainable farmers, producers, chefs by bridging their efforts to the public, through education and special events.
One cool program that Green City Market features is called Club Sprouts, which offers a different locally grown food item to kids each day the market is open (Wed and Sat). The tots brave enough to sample the food receive a stamp on their Club Sprouts membership card. Once the card is filled with points, the child earns a certificate of accomplishment. Behaviorism at its finest!
Club Sprouts also offers chef demos and cooking classes for children only during the summer, which is a shame because this would be a wonderful field trip!
Another initiative in which Green City is involved is the Edible Gardens at Lincoln Park Zoo's Farm-in-the-Zoo, which was created in Spring 2005. The Edible Gardens were created to teach children how to grow healthy, delicious foods. Immensely popular, the Edible Gardens attracted more than 25,000 people in 2008, with more people predicted each year. With the hopes that the Gardens can serve as a foundation to "edible education," the area is built to engage children with hands-on growing, weeding, compost-making, harvesting, and preparing these foods for meals.
Fortunately, the Edible Gardens are open for field trips!
I'm talking about the Green City Market, Chicago's only year-round farmers' market! In the winter, Green City is housed at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and then outside in Lincoln Park (near Clark and Lasalle) when the weather gets nicer. Green City is always busy, and it promotes local, sustainable farmers, producers, chefs by bridging their efforts to the public, through education and special events.
One cool program that Green City Market features is called Club Sprouts, which offers a different locally grown food item to kids each day the market is open (Wed and Sat). The tots brave enough to sample the food receive a stamp on their Club Sprouts membership card. Once the card is filled with points, the child earns a certificate of accomplishment. Behaviorism at its finest!
Club Sprouts also offers chef demos and cooking classes for children only during the summer, which is a shame because this would be a wonderful field trip!
Another initiative in which Green City is involved is the Edible Gardens at Lincoln Park Zoo's Farm-in-the-Zoo, which was created in Spring 2005. The Edible Gardens were created to teach children how to grow healthy, delicious foods. Immensely popular, the Edible Gardens attracted more than 25,000 people in 2008, with more people predicted each year. With the hopes that the Gardens can serve as a foundation to "edible education," the area is built to engage children with hands-on growing, weeding, compost-making, harvesting, and preparing these foods for meals.
Fortunately, the Edible Gardens are open for field trips!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
School Bus Chic
We totally need these mobile gardens for our school buses.I am aware that they are strange, but think of all the space atop the big yellow machines that rule Chicagoland's streets for 9 months out of the year!?!
They are 100% recyclable, and UV-, frost-, tear-, and traction-resistant. The fabric is permeable too allow soil to breathe and drain while protecting roots. Also, the bags are lightweight, so schools could move them from playground to classroom to, er, school bus.
Monkey Business
So I was working at the annual Chicago Green Festival on Navy Pier last weekend, and stumbled into (literally) the table of Gourmet Gorilla, which specializes in healthy food for kids. This Chicago-based company seeks to educate and provide kids with local and organic food, and even works with schools!
Here is their mission:
I thought that the idea of this company couldn't get better: The kitchen is also working toward becoming a zero waste kitchen, featuring composting and recycling programs, and delivery in eco-friendly cars. Schools working with Gourmet Gorilla could easily weave in the company's efforts into academic units on taking care of the Earth and healthy eating, which is an added bonus.
In fact, Gourmet Gorilla also lists developing school curricula to bridge farms and schools as one of their services, including activities such as creating herb gardens, visiting urban farms, and learning about the organic food chain.
Parents: Would you consider using this service for your kids at school, camp, daycare, etc.?
Here is their mission:
The Gourmet Gorilla™ Mission:
To strive for a sustainable future for our children by providing local and organic school lunches and healthier eating options. We are committed to working with community partners to provide solid nutrition for children in order to help them learn and grow. Building alliances between local farms, urban agriculturalists, dieticians, nutritionists, talented chefs, and organic food manufacturers, we are able to provide quality ingredients as well as links to educational resources on healthy food curriculum, the value of organic foods, garden projects, and ecological awareness.
How much do you love this!?! My favorite part is the wide range of people that are involved, especially local farmers. The website goes on to say that all of the food is 100% organic, and the meats are free range, grass-fed, natural, and hormone/antibiotic/artificial preservative-free. The food is also GMO- and peanut-free, which sounds great for all of the kiddos with food allergies!
I thought that the idea of this company couldn't get better: The kitchen is also working toward becoming a zero waste kitchen, featuring composting and recycling programs, and delivery in eco-friendly cars. Schools working with Gourmet Gorilla could easily weave in the company's efforts into academic units on taking care of the Earth and healthy eating, which is an added bonus.
In fact, Gourmet Gorilla also lists developing school curricula to bridge farms and schools as one of their services, including activities such as creating herb gardens, visiting urban farms, and learning about the organic food chain.
Parents: Would you consider using this service for your kids at school, camp, daycare, etc.?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
One Choice - The RIGHT Choice!
A few months ago there was an interview on NPR about placing salad bars in Los Angeles Elementary schools. The story said that, although schools did have to educate kids about nutrition and the different fruits and veggies in the salad bar, the kids liked making their own choices AND increased fruits and veggies in their diets by one full serving per day. Huge!
Last November, the Chicago Tribune ran an article on Chicago Public School's breakfast program. While I definitely support students eating breakfast at school if they aren't able to at home, the options of CPS's breakfast program were, shall we say, not the best. One standout quote from the article came with supporting research from a Yale University study done by Dr. Brownell and his colleagues that showed if kids were only given healthy options, they would eat them - AND eat the correct portion size!
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation did an investigation into how well schools are implementing the new standards (Child Nutrition Act of 2004) for establishing goals for increasing nutrition and exercise for children in schools. While it is quite a long report (find it here, and, okay, no I have not finished reading it yet), it is full of great information, including this gem of a quote:
"An intervention conducted in three Connecticut middle schools found that student consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages decreased when these items were removed from school, and there was no compensatory increase in consumption of those foods or beverages at home."
What I hope people take away from research-supported articles like these is that of course there is no easy answer to getting kids to eat healthier at school - but that doesn't mean it has to be difficult! Elimination of unhealthy options and simple solutions such as providing a salad bar make a world of difference for young children. Supporting school nutrition involves educating young children to make the right choice, encouraging them to make the right choice, and providing them with the right choice. Which, of course, should be the only choice!
Resources:
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity: Dr. Brownell's research on children's cereals
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Local School Wellness Policies
Last November, the Chicago Tribune ran an article on Chicago Public School's breakfast program. While I definitely support students eating breakfast at school if they aren't able to at home, the options of CPS's breakfast program were, shall we say, not the best. One standout quote from the article came with supporting research from a Yale University study done by Dr. Brownell and his colleagues that showed if kids were only given healthy options, they would eat them - AND eat the correct portion size!
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation did an investigation into how well schools are implementing the new standards (Child Nutrition Act of 2004) for establishing goals for increasing nutrition and exercise for children in schools. While it is quite a long report (find it here, and, okay, no I have not finished reading it yet), it is full of great information, including this gem of a quote:
"An intervention conducted in three Connecticut middle schools found that student consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages decreased when these items were removed from school, and there was no compensatory increase in consumption of those foods or beverages at home."
What I hope people take away from research-supported articles like these is that of course there is no easy answer to getting kids to eat healthier at school - but that doesn't mean it has to be difficult! Elimination of unhealthy options and simple solutions such as providing a salad bar make a world of difference for young children. Supporting school nutrition involves educating young children to make the right choice, encouraging them to make the right choice, and providing them with the right choice. Which, of course, should be the only choice!
Resources:
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity: Dr. Brownell's research on children's cereals
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Local School Wellness Policies
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