Alison and Sue's blog

Last week the New York Times and other media outlets covered the growing controversy over serving chocolate milk in school: Some people believe that it’s too high in added sugar; others maintain it’s a good way to get kids to drink milk. Our thoughts? Enough is enough. Let’s let kids enjoy their chocolate milk while we turn our attention to fighting bigger battles.

The recent Journal of the American Medical Association commentary, “Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century—a Time for Food, “ was an enlightening read.  “A major shift,” the authors say, “is needed to novel, evidence-based strategies in which foods comprise the principal dietary targets.” This perspective is long overdue: The Dietary Guidelines should focus more on foods to consume on a daily basis rather than on attempting to establish restrictive nutrients levels that people have little interest in tracking.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published findings from a study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive & Kidney Diseases, a branch of the National Institute of Health. Known as the HEALTHY Trial, the study spanned three years in seven cities. It was designed to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes among middle-school children whose race or ethnic group and socioeconomic status placed them at high risk.

The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) took the opportunity to comment on the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 issued by the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.  To read our public comments click here.

Tanya Hargrave-Klein is a Registered Dietician and a nutrition coach in the Healthy Schools Partnership (HSP) in Des Moines. She began her career in health promotion and wellness more than 20 years ago, in college. She loves working with kids and being able to actually see results in the work she does.
 
Before the Healthy Schools Partnership was implemented into your school, what information if any did students receive about the importance of nutrition and physical activity?

Jill Anderson is in her seventh year as principal at Lakewood Elementary. She got involved with school administration as a health teacher then a school counselor.   As a former health educator Jill knows the importance of health and wellness education.

What changes have you seen around the school and with students since the implementation of the program?

It‘s incredible changes. The jargon of the program, like Power Picks, has been picked up. I’ve seen changes in classroom snacks, and students’ choices are changing.

Kathryn Thompson is a Registered Dietitian (RD) nutrition coach in the Healthy Schools Partnership (HSP) in Des Moines.

Julia Burton-Varn is a principal at a Healthy Schools Partnership (HSP) school in Des Moines. She began her career as a district administrator nine years ago and progressively worked her way to a principal position. Julia enjoys being able to encourage student achievement and help facilitate for futures.

What changes have you seen around the school and with students since the implementation of the program?

Our staff has had increased casual conversations about eating healthy between themselves and with the students.

Congratulations to the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity for successfully laying out a comprehensive plan that includes a series of thoughtful recommendations and benchmarks! We are pleased to see a strong focus aimed at monitoring progress by tracking the impact of interventions on three key indicators: childhood obesity trends, improvement in children’s diet quality and physical activity levels.

Spring semester for the Healthy Schools Partnership (HSP) is wrapping up in Kansas City and Des Moines. Post-testing of students is well underway, and even before preliminary findings are in, we are hearing about some remarkable changes in school cafeterias. Foodservice staffers, decked out in their colorful HSP shirts, have become proud members of the “energy balance team.”