Parents, is it time to get schools to adopt nutrition programs?

Have you ever worried that all the good work you do at home to get your kids to eat healthily unravels the moment they step through the school gates? With obesity in kids on the increase, some public health experts believe that schools should be part of the solution. Now new research has shown that school policies can make a difference when it comes to making sure kids keep to a healthy weight.

Researchers worked with nearly 1,500 students in fourth to sixth grades in 10 Philadelphia schools. They introduced a two-year nutrition program in half the schools, banning candy and unhealthy snacks, replacing sodas with water, low-fat milk or pure juice, and educating teachers, students and families about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. The students in all the schools had their height, weight and physical activity measured once a year.

The good news is that, after two years, only 7.5 percent of students who attended schools with a nutrition policy became overweight, compared with 15 percent of students in schools without a policy.

What you need to know

These findings are promising. If there are parents out there who want to help their kids' schools adopt a healthy living plan, this study could help you get started. It shows it can work. But the researchers say that the policies need to be tougher, with more emphasis on physical education. Plus, prevention programs probably need to start earlier than fourth grade. As many as 4 in 10 kids age 9 to 12 are already overweight. There's really no time to waste.

—Zosia Kmietowicz, patient editor, BMJ Group

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