|
|
Make a Difference: Key Strategies to Prevent Obesity
Get Started
Whether you are a teacher, parent, student, or school
administrator, you can make healthy changes at your school. Often it
takes the leadership of just one person and a willingness to talk to
others to make a difference! Below you will find some ideas for getting
started. You also can get specific ideas for teachers, parents, students,
and school administrators.
- Encourage your district Superintendent to create a district
health council or your school Principal to create a school health team.
- Find others who are willing to participate on the school health council or team
with you. Together use CDC's School Health Index, to
assess your school's programs and policies, and plan improvements.
- Copy successful ideas that others have used:
- Teachers at Grifton School in North Carolina introduced physical
activity breaks or "Energizers*" in the classroom. Students reported
feeling less stress and better able to concentrate after five to ten
minutes of physical activity. Energizers gives teachers suggestions
that integrate physical activity with the curriculum so they don't have to stop
teaching.
- About 200 students and 30 adults walk to school every Wednesday at
Brockway Area Elementary School in Pennsylvania. Special "guests" are
invited to lead the walks each week. The "Walking Wednesday" program
was started by the school as part of a
pilot project
emphasizing nutrition and physical fitness*.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
Teachers
 Students'
poor diets and lack of physical activity are affecting their energy levels
and ability to concentrate. But emerging
research is making a case for increased physical activity, and
eating breakfast and healthy foods as a means for improving concentration
and academic achievement. Teachers can serve as positive role models for
students by improving their own eating and physical activity habits. Practicing new
behaviors together during the school day can be fun for everyone —
students and teachers alike! Teachers can also help students by:
- Participating on a school health council at the district level or
school health team at the school level.
- Establishing a healthy eating policy for classroom and school
activities.
- Providing opportunities for students to eat healthy snacks such as
fruits and vegetables.
- Incorporating physical activity into the classroom routine through
regular physical activity breaks or
energizers.
- Using physical activity instead of food as a reward.
- Providing physical education every day
for at least 20 minutes at the elementary level.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
Parents
Parents
can serve as positive role models for children and adolescents by
improving their own eating and physical activity habits, incorporating physical
activities into family routines, and providing plenty of opportunities for children
and adolescents to eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. Parents can also help their children improve their
concentration and learning at school by providing a nutritious breakfast
everyday. In
addition to being a positive role model and serving nutritious meals at
home, parents help create healthy schools by:
- Joining a school health council at the district level or a school
health team at their child's school.
- Working with the district Superintendent or school Principal to
start a school health council or team if
one does not exist.
- Assessing the school’s physical activity and nutrition environment
with others by using CDC’s online tool, the School Health Index. The Index can help parents establish a school
wellness policy and plan actions for parents and schools to prevent
childhood obesity.
- Advocating for healthy polices, school health councils, school
health coordinators, and other improvements by speaking to the school
board or joining
Action for Healthy Kids* in your state.
- Working with their child's teacher to establish a classroom
nutrition policy.
- Making healthy lunches for your children to take to school.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
Students
 Students
can be powerful advocates for healthy schools. They can improve the
quality of food in their school, increase the amount of physical activity,
or participate on school health councils. They can make a difference by:
- Asking their principal to start a school health team or joining an
existing school health team at their school.
- Conducting surveys to determine student opinions about healthful
products.
- Making a list of all the fun ways to be active at their school and in
their community, and sharing the list with others.
- Creating signs, songs, games or contests to promote healthy eating
and physical activity.
- Walking to
school and
encouraging others students to walk too.
- Leading physical activity breaks or
energizers in the classroom to help improve concentration and
relieve stress.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
Administrators
Administrators' support is key to implementing quality school health
programs that support student learning, healthy students and a healthy
school environment for all. Administrators can make an important contribution to the lives of students,
staff and parents by:
- Establishing and/or participating on a school health council at the
district level or a school health team at the school level.
- Role modeling good nutrition and physical activity.
- Identifying a school health coordinator
whose job description includes responsibility for coordinating the eight
components of a school health program and facilitating implementation of the
council or team's plan for improvements.
- Conducting surveys to determine student opinions about healthful
products.
- Ensuring that students participate in daily
physical education and have opportunities for physical activity during
the school day.
- Installing vending machines with healthful options.
- Reducing the amount of unhealthy food options that are available in vending
machines, at sporting events, and during classroom celebrations.
- Developing and implementing a school wellness policy.
- Advocating for healthy schools by joining
Action for Healthy Kids* in your state.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
| * |
Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link. |
|
|
