New Report Provides Comprehensive Picture of the State of Local Wellness Policies

An analysis of local wellness policies across a sample of district sizes and geographic regions conducted by the School Nutrition Association (SNA) shows that components required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, such as nutrition guidelines, nutrition education and physical activity are included in over 94% of policies. 

The report on the analysis, A Foundation for the Future II, released on December 2006 outlines key characteristics of local wellness policies approved by a random sample of 140 school districts in seven regions of the United States, encompassing 49 states.  These districts account for 3.5% of the nation’s K-12 students. 

Key findings in this report include: 88.6% of the policies address nutrition standards for a la carte foods and beverages; 72.5% of school districts address a recess requirement for at least elementary grade levels; 91.7% require physical activity for at least some grade levels; and 65.7% address nutrition standards/guidelines for classroom celebrations or parties.  The SNA analysis also found that 89% of districts with local wellness policies outline a plan for implementation and evaluation utilizing the superintendent, school nutrition director or wellness policy task force as the entity responsible for monitoring the policy. 

The Need for Local Wellness Policies

Overweight and obesity among children is an alarming health concern in today’s society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents in the United States has increased dramatically during the past few decades.  Since the 1970s, overweight has more than doubled among young children aged 2-5 years and almost tripled among school-aged children aged 6-19 years.  For instance, the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from the years 2003-2004 shows that among school-aged children, aged 6-11 years, the prevalence of overweight increased from 4.0% to 18.8%.  Moreover, among school-aged adolescents, aged 12-19 years, the prevalence of overweight increased from 6.1% to 17.4%. 

Given this scenario, it is very important that schools be involved in combating childhood obesity. Establishing local wellness policies is one of the means by which schools can contribute to overall efforts.  Local wellness policies and their implementation offer schools a comprehensive, community-driven approach to promoting healthy childhood weight. Also, the nature of the local policy development process for schools suggests that parents and other stakeholders involved in the process are motivated to ensure that policies live up to their potential for creating healthier school environments.  

To learn more about the SNA report, please contact:

School Nutrition Association

700 South Washington Street, Suite 300

Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: (703) 739-3900

Fax: (703) 739-3915

Email: servicecenter@schoolnutrition.org