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Make a Difference: Key Strategies to Prevent Obesity
Why Schools?
Get Started
Build a Foundation
Take Action
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Make a Difference at Your School
Key Strategies to Prevent Obesity

image of girl swingingThe percentage of children who are obese1 has more than doubled, and among adolescents the rates have more than tripled since 1980. Obesity is a risk factor for health conditions such as diabetes and is associated with problems such as poor self-esteem. The good news is that schools can help students and staff adopt healthy eating and physical activity behaviors that are the keys to preventing obesity.

checkmarkMake a Difference at Your School!
[pdf 1.7Mb].  The research-based strategies outlined in Make a Difference at Your School! are described in:

The Role of Schools in Preventing Childhood Obesity [pdf 627K]
The State Education Standard 2004;5(2):4-12.

See also Childhood Obesity for more facts, resources, and links.

Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

You can make a difference at your school this year by following these steps:

Step 1:  See what you can do to get started. Find other students, parents, teachers, or administrators who also want your school to be a healthy school.

Step 2: Choose one of the 10 key strategies below and implement it.

Step 3: Share your success story so others can learn new ways to improve the health of young people at school.

 
10 Key Strategies

Build a Strong Foundation
Strategies 1-4

1. Address physical activity and nutrition through a Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP).

2. Designate a school health coordinator and maintain an active school health council.

3. Assess the school's health policies and programs and develop a plan for improvements.

4. Strengthen the school's nutrition and physical activity policies.

Take Action
Strategies 5-10

5. Implement a high-quality health promotion program for school staff.

6. Implement a high-quality course of study in health education.

7. Implement a high-quality course of study in physical education.

8. Increase opportunities for students to engage in physical activity.

9. Implement a quality school meals program.

10. Ensure that students have appealing, healthy choices in foods and beverages offered outside of the school meals program.

  1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Flegal KM. High Body Mass Index for Age Among US Children and Adolescents, 2003-2006. JAMA. 2008;299(20):2401-2405.
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Page last reviewed: October 20, 2008
Page last modified: August 20, 2008
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health

Division of Adolescent and School Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Health and Human Services