Healthy Schools Campaign

Taking Action on Radon in Your School District? No Better Time than the Present!

Today we have a guest blog from Jani Palmer, a Physical Scientist in the Indoor Environments Division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She has been in the indoor air quality and industrial hygiene field for more than 10 years, providing environmental consulting and services for school districts, industry, and public agencies. Thanks to Jani for this important post!

Dedicated maintenance and facilities staff at school districts nationwide knew that summer was on its way out just as soon as the last students slammed their lockers shut in June. Having worked to improve environmental quality in schools for years, I know that the only time to get those big projects done is during the holiday breaks and summer vacations. This summer, hundreds of school districts took steps to protect their students and staff by testing for radon, and if yours isn’t among them, there’s no better time than the present to plan for testing.

So you ask, what is radon?  Radon is a colorless, odorless and radioactive gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. It is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The Surgeon General and U.S. EPA recommend testing for radon and fixing if levels are found to be a risk to public health. 

Radon testing and mitigation don’t have to be scary topics. What is scary is that radon causes cancer, yet exposure to radon is easily identified and fixed.  Testing is the only way to know if your building has radon; therefore it is the first step toward fixing it. Radon control is as integral to school health as other Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management activities and fits right in with your IAQ Tools for Schools management activities. If your school doesn’t use the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit, take a look at the graphic from the kit that shows how an effective school IAQ program integrates planning, communicating and four other key drivers. Click here for information from the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit on how you can manage radon along with your other day-to-day IAQ duties.

When you return to school, or if you have already, let your facilities folks and school board know how much you appreciate what your school district does for IAQ and radon. Jobs in building management are often underappreciated, especially when staff do such a great job that occupants have nothing to complain about. Their dedication and perseverance to maintaining healthy buildings by fixing holes, changing ceiling tiles and testing rooms can make a huge difference in someone’s life, and for that, thanks!

Want to learn more about radon and schools?  Join us Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST for a free webinar on Radon in Schools. Register here and spread the word!

Plus: Be sure to check out our PSA with NFL Player Chester Pitts, Offensive Lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, as he tells homeowners about the dangers of radon:

 

Cost, Value and Environmental Health

By Sarah Rosenberg, HSC intern

For as long as people have been fighting for more strict standards for pollution and the use of toxic chemicals, opponents have argued that it’s unnecessarily expensive. But how much does business as usual really cost? 

Judging by a recent study from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the answer might be tens of billions more than we had ever imagined. 

Researchers announced that, in 2008 alone, children’s health problems associated with exposure to air pollution and toxic chemicals cost the nation $76 billion in medical bills and lost productivity. Such health issues include autism, ADD, asthma, mental disabilities, childhood cancers, and lead/mercury exposure. 

It certainly gives a new meaning to “unnecessarily expensive.” These conditions are often preventable: enhanced regulation of pollution and toxic substances can limit children’s exposure. Since our 56 million students spend the majority of their time at schools, it’s important to make sure that they are a healthy place for kids to be. Too often, though, this is not the case. 

Air quality in particular is an issue, both inside and outside of schools. On the inside, the use of pesticides and chemical cleaners, exacerbated by poor ventilation, exposes children to toxic substances and aggravates asthma. Green cleaning is a straightforward and effective way to address some of these issues, and it gets results. 

As for the outside, the location of the school has a major impact on the health of students and staff, too. Most recently, this was confirmed by a recent study from the University of Michigan, which concluded that Michigan schools in areas with higher levels of pollution had higher levels of absenteeism, an indicator of health issues. However, only five states have laws requiring schools to consider air pollution and other environmental health issues when building a new school. As a result, far too many schools do end up in areas that lead to more unhealthy exposures than we would like for our children. 

The good news is that there is a lot of work that is being done on these issues. Vermont recently became the tenth state to pass a statewide green cleaning law, and several other states are considering similar proposals this year. A lot more attention is also being paid to ventilation in school design.  And, as we wrote about in a blog earlier this year, the EPA recently released the first national guidelines for school siting – they are voluntary guidelines, but it’s a commendable first step. 

Of course, more is needed on both fronts. The effects of pollution and the use of toxic chemicals are often all too easy to dismiss – we can’t see it, and the health problems they cause can seem distant and disconnected. This new finding, though, makes it harder to ignore: even for an economy as large as ours, $76 billion is no small sum. Improving environmental standards may not be free, but failing to act is costing us.

Healthy Schools Campaign Shares Power of Parents in Detroit

By Guillermo Gomez, vice president of urban affairs

Last week, Parents United for Healthy Schools campaign manager Jovita Flores and I were invited by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to share our work with food and fitness advocates at the Food & Fitness Collaborative meeting in Detroit. The meeting brought together representatives from a variety of organizations to share best practices and techniques for parent involvement, youth leadership and program evaluation. 

Jovita and I have had the opportunity to witness the power of parent involvement through our work developing HSC’s Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables coalition, and this was a great opportunity to discuss what we have learned with others who are interested in supporting parent leadership around food and fitness issues.  

While there, we shared tools for parent leadership development that we’ve created and refined over the years with input from parents. This includes documents and printed tools but also includes ideas for events such as our annual principals’ breakfast where parent leaders and principals gather to share ideas for school wellness. These tools make talking to school administrators about health and wellness easier and more effective. Some of the most important tools we’ve developed are those that help parents talk about school wellness policies and take steps to form a wellness team or committee at their school. It was an honor to share these resources with others who are eager to take action.

Our work with Parents United continues to extend parent involvement. Along with principals and teachers, parents are the most invested stakeholders in schools -- and they are most definitely key advocates for children’s health. What we’ve found is that parents are completely integral in creating change and developing strategies for an academic culture that promotes wellness. Since Parents United was created in 2006, we’ve worked with parent leaders to advocate for the return of recess, healthy school food, breakfast in the classroom and much more. 

In my years as a parent and as an advocate, it’s been great to see an institutional shift toward healthy, active decisions. I am inspired by the incredible work of the parent leaders who speak up to make change that will shape their children’s health and learning for a lifetime. We were honored to speak at  the W.K. Kellogg Foundation event and share this work with the various Food & Fitness grantees. I look forward to hearing about the work they do for parent leadership in their own communities. 

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Today, we’re kicking off the 2011 Parent Leadership Institute at Richard J. Daley College. The training will not only emphasize leadership development, but also encourage parents to be part of the Go for the Gold campaign, the local embodiment of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign. 

To learn more about the Parent Leadership Institute and read about last year’s institute, check out the Parents United for Healthy Schools section of HSC’s blog. 

Assistant Principal Evy Block Shares Her Breakfast in the Classroom Experience

We recently chatted with Melville W. Fuller Elementary  School assistant principal Evy Block who shared her experience with the Breakfast in the Classroom program. Her school pu tthe program in place in Spring 2011.

Block notes that the program is key in addressing student hunger at school. “I was a teacher for many years,” she said. “Kids come into school and they say ‘I’m hungry.’ That complaint is almost nonexistent now. . . We don’t know if the kids have breakfast before they come to school, we don’t know if they have dinner at night, but we do know that they have a healthy breakfast once they get to school.” 

Block added that as an unexpected bonus, the program has also provided opportunities for productive and environmentally responsible classroom projects. At Fuller, the eighth graders have taken on the task of collecting and recycling milk cartons as the focus of a class project on sustainability.

You can read the interview with Evy Block and see profiles og other principals on our new site, BreakfastMatters.org. 

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Plus! If you are in Chicago and want to show support for Breakfast in the Classroom, you can sign a petition in support of the program or add your organization to the list of supporters.

You can also read breakfast updates on the HSC blog.

School Nurse Spotlight: Loree LaChance

The HSC team put in a call to O’Fallon, Illinois to speak with school nurse Loree LaChance, a graduate of HSC's School Nurse Leadership Training, a program that prepares school nurses to take on leadership roles to promote wellness or environmental health in their schools. With more than 15 years of experience in obstetrics, LaChance decided to become a school nurse after substituting in schools.

“When I started this job, it scared the tar out of me, because it’s so far out of my comfort box,” she said. “It has been a fabulous learning experience and has helped me grow professionally.”

LaChance has served as a building nurse for K-5 grades at J.E. Hinchcliffe Elementary School for six years and has headed the district health services for three years. During a typical day, she tends to the expected bumps and scraps, but also ensures that the school district is meeting state-mandated policies and regulations.

With an undergraduate degree in nutrition in addition to her education and experience in nursing, the school nurse focuses on making health and wellness a priority. Loree has also worked with parents to create Healthy Kids Corner, a website with health resources for families. “I hope it inspires them to change or include something new into their everyday lives,” she said. 

LaChance spearheads several projects to promote wellness in throughout the district. She works closely with food service to help her district meet the Gold standard set by the HealthierUS School Challenge. She is most proud of Hinchcliffe’s wellness walk, where the entire school walks a half mile. The school nurse also works closely with school food service providers and staff to work on ways to improve school food.

She encourages teachers to model the behaviors and habits they want the children to develop. Leading by example, LaChance bikes to work to demonstrate simple ways to incorporate physical activity into one’s daily routine.

LaChance discussed a mantra that she firmly follows. “Former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, 15th Surgeon General of the United States once said ‘you can’t educate a child that is not healthy, and you can’t keep a child healthy that is not educated.’”

LaChance hopes that people will seek her and other school nurses out as resources because, she explained, school nurses provide tools to help children lead healthier lives and solve problems. 
“Eating right, having enough physical activity, and providing a healthy environment is important,” she said. “It goes so much farther than a band-aid.”

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We are grateful to have Loree LaChance serve as a role model for wellness and advocate for health resources.

For more spotlights on school nurses, check out our school nurse blog updates on the blog. Be sure to sign up for our school nurse newsletter.You can also read school nurse resources here.

Check out her Healthy Kids Corner website with tools to help empower families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. You can also check out her staff page for resources.

Air Pollution: How It Affects Student Health and Academic Performance

By Austin Sears, HSC Communications Intern

Today, many environmental issues are front and center in our minds. Recycling bins are almost as common as trash cans and reusable shopping bags have become increasingly popular. However, there is one issue that we can’t see and often gets pushed to the back of our minds: air pollution and its effects on our health. And while air pollution undoubtedly affects us all, children are particularly vulnerable and suffer disproportionately from the impact of dirty air.

A recent article published by Health Affairs draws attention to air pollution and its link to student health and academic performance. The study focused on public schools, the levels of pollution in the areas surrounding them and how these factors affect students. The findings showed that many schools in Michigan were located in places with high levels of air pollution coming from industrial sources. The study also found that while 44 percent of white students in the state were affected, 82 percent of African American students and 62 percent of Latino students were affected, results that show that children of color are more at risk than other students.

Here are some more of the study's findings:

"...schools located in areas with the highest pollution levels also had the lowest attendance rates (a potential indicator of poor health) and the highest proportions of students failing to meet the state’s educational testing standards.  

A recent survey of Michigan school superintendents verified that land availability and cost are a major consideration in school siting decisions. When the superintendents were asked to rank various considerations in school boards’ decisions about where to locate new schools, the two most important considerations were the availability of land and whether the school district already owned the land.

Half of the states, including Michigan, do not require any evaluation of the environmental quality of areas under consideration as sites for new schools, nor do they prohibit siting new industrial facilities and highways near existing schools. This makes it likely that new schools will be built in undesirable locations to keep the cost of land acquisition down."

One of the most significant points that Health Affairs highlights is the vulnerability of our children. Children have little to no say in where they live, and even less say in where they attend school. Parents often cannot afford to move to a different city or send their children to a different school, so it is up to our leaders in government to address site analysis and make changes to ensure that both schools already in use and schools that will be built in the future will be safe for our children. Pollution causes a number of adverse health effects, including childhood asthma, and this study shows that pollution affects children in Latino and African American communities more than their peers.

We know it’s not possible to pick up and move your school to a cleaner location; so as a concerned parent, what can you do? While there are not panaceas, there are a few things you can do.

First, while it’s hard for one school to affect outdoor air pollution, you can have an impact on your indoor environment and make sure the air inside your school is as clean as possible. Consider developing a school indoor environmental quality (IEQ) team to address issues. Many free tools are available to help establish IEQ teams, such as the EPA’s Tools for Schools Action Kit. Working with other parents, teachers, students and administrators, we can take action to limit pesticide use, green the cleaning programs, or improve ventilation within the school building.

Second, let’s get proactive on school siting. Work in your community or your state to make sure there are siting guidelines that will limit the exposures that can happen with a highly polluted site. Visit the  Child Proofing Our Communities guidelines for school siting recommendations. 

Finally, if your school district is going to build a new school, get involved and make sure your community understands the importance of school siting. Let your voice be heard and educate school boards, principals, teachers and anyone else that will listen about siting and the effects that it can have on your children.

Together, we can take action to ensure that our nation's schools are healthy and safe.

Spotlight on Charles E. Basch: Healthier Students Are Better Learners

by Joanna Blonska, a writer for the Office of Minority Health Resource Center.

For the past 30 years, Charles E. Basch has studied health disparities across a wide range of urban minority populations.   As the Richard March Hoe Professor of Health Education at Columbia University’s Teachers College, his attempt to translate what is already known into practice to help groups with the greatest need has been the running thread of his work. 

If his years of research have made anything clear it is this:  there is a strong link between health and learning and if we are to begin to eradicate disparities in health and education, we should start by creating healthier schools.

 “While we spend a tremendous amount of money on chronic disease, it’s always been clear to me from the outset, the single most effective approach that we have…is primary and secondary prevention from school-based programs,” Basch says.  “It’s when children are young that we can prevent many of these problems and their adverse effects rather than waiting until they are adolescents or adults and the problems have already developed.”

Basch presents the evidence for this argument in his latest report, “Healthier Students Are Better Learners: A Missing Link in School Reforms to Close the Achievement Gap” [pdf] published in March 2010 which brings together findings from fields ranging from neurosciences and child development to epidemiology and public health to illustrate how health-related problems play a major role in limiting academic performance of minority children.

Basch specifically identifies seven factors--poor vision, asthma, teen pregnancy, aggression and violence, physical inactivity, ADHD, and insufficient breakfast--that can and do lead to health disparities. 

While it is not new that these problems disproportionately affect urban minority youth, what Basch emphasizes is that the disparities “have direct causal links to motivation and ability to learn through affecting [children’] sensory perceptions, cognition, connectedness and engagement in school.”  Simply put, healthier students are better students.

Basch argues that there needs to be a reassessment in the approach by educators and public health officials in addressing these problems in order to make any serious inroads into improving the lives of millions of minority children who are affected by these disparities. 

He acknowledges that educators have attempted for years to close the achievement gap by focusing on improving school curriculums and teacher qualifications and introducing better leadership and accountability measures.   There has also been much rhetoric around incorporating health programs in schools.

But for the most part, he says, “the way in which these programs have been done, has not been in a strategic, high-quality and coordinated way.” 

Part of the problem, Basch argues, is that the emphasis has tended to be too categorical.  There may be a violence program or an obesity prevention program, but these, he notes, do not adequately address the overall development of the child or take into consideration the many factors affecting the child, which may overlap and be interrelated.

“We have to realize that [a child’s] development is affected by a multitude of factors and when we focus on some and not others, the benefits are going to be compromised,” Basch says.  “The big picture message I’m trying to get across is the interactive and synergistic effects of these different health problems and the need to address them collectively if we are to have a meaningful effect.”

While school nutrition and fitness initiatives supported by efforts such as Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign or the USDA’s Healthier US School Challenge are both “an important piece” and “a step in the right direction,” on a national level, he argues, there needs to a “bigger picture” approach—targeting the seven prevalent health factors he studied-- and more involvement from the Department of Education.   

He also advocates for political will on a school district level among school leaders “to recognize that these are important issues and they have to be addressed, not in a haphazard way” but “as part of the vision and mission of the school.”

Focusing programs in the places where there is the greatest risk, particularly among low-income urban populations, is critical to closing the achievement gap for urban minority children, Basch says.

In populations with higher socioeconomic status, there tends to be much greater financial and familial support, but in urban minority populations, those resources are not necessarily present to address problems.  There is also often more stress on the families with respect to poverty, working many jobs, or raising multiple children. 

Schools can play a central role in ending both health disparities and the achievement gap and Basch is hopeful that success is achievable with comprehensive school-based health programs.

“The school is really a social institution that’s ideally situated to address the needs of kids in this situation,” he says.  “I think there is lots of evidence of programs that have shown that they can be effective.”

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Healthy Schools Campaign is pleased to announce Heroes for Healthy Schools: Coming together for
student wellness and achievement, a weeklong series of events to celebrate Minority Health Month and
focus attention on programs and policies in Chicago that support student wellness and achievement.
This exciting series is presented as a partnership of Healthy Schools Campaign, Chicago Public
Schools Nutrition Support Services and the Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.

We are thrilled to take this opportunity to spotlight a few of the many individuals who are making a difference for kids' health at school and in our community. Today's "hero for healthy schools," Professor Charles E. Basch, has dedicated his work to the research of effective strategies for addressing health and education disparities.

Basch will speak at the Citywide Forum on Health Disparities and Education, a cornerstone event recognizing Minority Health Month, to discuss his latest research on health disparities and student achievement. We invite you to join us at this forum on April 6 in Chicago. For details and to register, click here.

Creating a Culture of Wellness with Healthy Rewards and Celebrations at School

 

A healthy birthday treat, as demonstrated at a recent Fit to Learn training

Eliminating sweet treats from your classroom or school may seem like a daunting task, especially as you seek ways to reward students for good behavior. Sweet treats and food-based celebrations have become ingrained in the culture of some schools, making the idea of healthy change seem even more challenging. As one teacher put it, "I don't want to feel like the bad guy in my school if I'm the only one not giving out candy or celebrating birthdays with cake."

But fun and healthy alternatives do exist! Experience shows that these rewards can be very effective and can play an important role is creating a culture of wellness at a school.

Phyllis Powell Pelt, RN, MS, ILCSN, has 19 years of school nursing experience under her belt and plenty of great ideas on healthier rewards and treats that still keep kids engaged and excited.

At one of the schools where Pelt worked, the staff created a unique and healthy birthday tradition.

“We used to take a watermelon, cut it in half and stick candles inside instead of using a cake. Parents were so amazed at how tickled their kids were and the kids were excited because they were receiving recognition,” said Pelt.

Pelt emphasized that when making change, it’s important to get as many people on board as possible. She says this effort must be intergenerational. Working directly with the parents, grandparents, PTA/PTO members and other members of the school community is key to success. Creativity can help in building these connections.

“At one school, they created a program called 'Be Healthy Be Smart' and one of the parents came to the school dressed as a bee. He handed out pineapple samples in his costume,” said Pelt. 

She says that many kids were apprehensive about trying the fruit, but after some gentle guidance by the teachers, kids were taking their first bites.

“By the end of the year, parents were telling us that kids were pointing out fruit at the grocery store that they tried in school,” said Pelt. “A year ago, some of those kids had never even eaten a tomato.”

Pelt said that efforts are most successful when everyone in the school is committed to the process and willing to play a role in creating a culture of wellness. For example, office staff can play a role by switching out their candy jars in exchange for stickers or other healthy treats.

Pelt encouraged teachers and school staff to “try gradually moving away” from unhealthy treats. “For something like this to become the norm is a challenge, but cooperation brings success when everyone is looking at a bigger vision,” she said.

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Plus! Click here for more tips on rewarding students without candy!

Interested in learning more about how to make wellness a regular part of the school experience? Check out HSC's new Fit to Learn program!

FoodCorps Recruiting First Class of Service Members: Learn More!

 
FoodCorps, a brand new and much anticipated national service program, opens applications for its first class of service members this week!  Those selected will dedicate one year of full-time public service in school food systems: sourcing healthful local food for school cafeterias, expanding nutrition education programs, and building and tending school gardens.

FoodCorps is a scalable solution to the national obesity epidemic. Since 1980, the percentage of American children who are overweight or obese has doubled. With one in four U.S. children struggling with hunger and one in three obese or overweight, FoodCorps addresses the root cause of both: access to healthy food.

FoodCorps seeks up to 80 young men and women with a passion for serving their country by building healthy communities.  Beginning in August 2011, service members will get their hands dirty in one of 10 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina or Oregon. 

 

Applications and more information can be found at www.foodcorps.org.

Teacher Contest Submissions Due Sept. 15!

By Maya Noronha, HSC Intern

We asked teachers to submit ideas on how to incorporate health education into the classroom, and we're thrilled to see the responses! We know that sometimes it's challenging to fit all of the traditional subjects into each school day, but these creative ideas help make lessons about food and fitness a seamless part of the classroom experience. Some also address state standards for various subject areas.

• Alyse Ruggiero from Evanston, Ill. uses popular music to get her students up and moving. Whenever they are drifting off into la la land, she takes a “brain break.” She and her fourth graders watch R. Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest” music video while doing stretches and exercises. As an added bonus, she said, the lyrics to the song are inspiring and positive. Sometimes, she will print off the lyrics to the song and use it as a descriptive language lesson in writing. Very versatile activity!
• Artien Kuiper from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia helps bring the family into her healthy classroom with her Delicious Nutritious program. One child is selected every week to bring a healthy snack to share with the class. The student writes down ingredients and directions, then teaches the class why the snack is good for their health. Recipes are compiled in a folder that Artien turns into a healthy recipe snack book to share with parents. Involving students’ families helps ensure that the healthy habits will stick with students.
• Leslie O’Keefe, from Rochester, N.Y., teaches at a school which uses the Healthy Highway program. This program involves the whole school, including the nurse, PE teacher and cafeteria manager. Health is integrated into classroom projects such as: “food patrol” where students survey staff/students and put together a graph; “food detectives” where students research each food group and design informational posters; “chefs” in which students create and serve a healthy snack recipe, and much more. This school is seeing great results; students are actually requesting salad over French fries in the cafeteria! (The Healthy Highway program will be raffled off at a session of our upcoming teacher training program in Chicago! To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact Donna Fishman.)

Please join us in making school wellness a priority in the classroom:

• The deadline for our teacher contest is approaching: Submit your best ideas by Wednesday, Sept. 15 and be entered to win great prizes! Learn more here.
• To get involved with our upcoming teacher program in Chicago and learn even more ways to improve school wellness, contact Donna Fishman at [email protected].

Thanks to Alyse, Artien, Leslie and all who have submitted to our contest so far!

At Parent Leadership Institute, Kids Discover Fun-Filled Ways to Learn Healthy Habits

By Janise Chan, HSC Intern

Finishing his papier-mache apple with one last bit of colored tissue paper dipped in glue, a boy holds up his artwork. In a normal art class, he would sign it with his name, set it aside, and go out to play, but he picks up a marker and starts to label his apple with the nutritive value, fiber. In Spanish, he writes, "Wash well and eat it all, including the skin, because the skin of the apple has fiber." He continues, "Fiber helps prevent cholesterol and diabetes."

While parents were learning about how to bring change to schools in the Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables 2010 Parent Leadership Institute, their children were next door, learning more about the food that they eat and how it affects their health. Janette Tello, who led the child care team at the Parent Leadership Institute, gave short lessons on topics such as fiber and the food pyramid. The kids then created different art projects which reinforced what they had learned that day.

On the last day of the training, the children made piñatas in the shape of tomatoes, carrots, and chili peppers, which they filled with fruit and nuts. As Janette explained to their parents, piñatas were historically filled with fruit and nuts rather than the sugary candy which is found in piñatas today.

At the end of the Parent Leadership Institute, parents were not the only ones who learned how to make healthy changes in their families and in their children’s schools. Their children were taught to make better choices for themselves and were empowered to be partners in the effort to improve the health of their generation.

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The 2010 Parent Leadership Institute brought parents, school leaders, advocates and community members together for an intensive four-day event and training. Learn more about Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables.

 

Health Care Reform Bill Also Promotes Healthy Lifestyles & Wellness

By Laura Fillenwarth

Throughout the debate on health care reform, HSC worked to highlight the connection between our nation's health and the way we integrate wellness into the school environment with healthy eating and opportunities for physical activity.

As HSC founding executive director Rochelle Davis said in the New York Times recently, “Look at the agony our country is going through over health care and the struggle to handle a sick nation... We just have to connect the dots and get people eating right and get people moving. Healthy school food is a logical part of that.”

The health care bill that Congress passed (H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices of 2009) includes several measures to promote health in the public school system as well as measures to promote wellness and prevention of illness among all age groups. Some of these measures include:

Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items at Chain Restaurants

Chain restaurants with twenty or more locations doing business under the same name must disclose calories on menu boards and in a written form. Additional information pertaining to total calories and calories from fat, amounts of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total and complex carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fiber, and protein must be available upon request.

Providing information to consumers is an important part of helping people make healthy choices. We know that it is especially effective when complemented by nutrition education that helps people understand that information and put it to use.

Understanding Health Disparities: Data Collection and Analysis

Any ongoing or federal health care related surveys will report data on race, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, socioeconomic status, language and disability status, in addition to data at the geographic level. Trends in health disparities will be detected, monitored, and disseminated. At HSC, we are concerned about health disparities and work to ensure that healthy food and opportunities for physical activity are available at school for all students,  especially those hard-hit by the epidemics of childhood obesity and asthma.

Employer-Based Wellness Programs

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) will provide employers with consultation and tools in evaluating wellness programs and build evaluation capacity for these programs in workplaces. CDC will study and evaluate employer-based wellness practices. Staff wellness is an important part of creating a culture of wellness in the school environment.

Funding for Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project

$25 million has been appropriated between 2009 and 2013 for the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) to manage a Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project.

We're pleased to see these measures included in the health care bill. They are part of a national movement -- including Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, the work of advocates nationwide and changes at school districts across the country -- to make schools healthy places for all students. We look forward to seeing these changes implemented and continuing the work to promote wellness in every school.

Plus: To learn more, check out this post from the HSC blog archives: Vilsack Connects Healthy Eating and Reduced Health Care Costs (9/24/09)

HSC Recognizes Innovations for Wellness & Environment

Healthy Schools Campaign is pleased to recognize three innovators in the 2009-2010 Innovation Showcase! Congratulations to:


HSC conducted a nationwide search for new and innovative products and services that help create healthier school environments. The search focused specifically on two areas: the environmental impact of a school, and the way that a school supports healthy eating and physical activity for students. Companies from all corners of the marketplace were invited to share their unique inventions and innovations. We are pleased to recognize three innovators:

Activeion Pro is a hand-held spray bottle that converts tap water into a powerful cleaner and sanitizer. This enables facility management teams to clean surfaces in schools without using chemicals. ActiveIon "gives true meaning to 'innovation,'" said showcase judge Joe Agron of American School & University. "It's especially applicable in the education environment -- a fascinating product." Learn more »

Canteen Waterwerkz vending delivers healthy chilled beverages in an environmentally friendly way using a machine that mixes water-based drinks in re-sealable pouches, chills and serves them in seconds. It serves good-for-you drinks with less packaging and more energy efficiency than a conventional vending machine. "It's exciting to see a product design that takes into account both kids' health and the health of our environment" said showcase judge Mark Bishop of HSC.

Peaceful Playgrounds is a do-it-yourself kit that allows schools to transform their playground or schoolyard with colorful, active games. The kit helps teachers create play environments that reduce bullying and injuries while increasing physical activity. Peaceful Playgrounds is "an excellent innovative idea on a number of levels," said showcase judge Jay Snyder of the Association of School Business Officials International. "It makes recess more of a learning and creative experience for the students. It's safe for the students and the environment. And it's easy to clean, which is very important to the custodians, directors of facilities, and to the school and school districts in general." Learn more »

The products spotlighted in the Innovation Showcase were selected by a judging panel with representatives of HSC, American School & University and the Association of School Business Officials International. The judges selected products based on the creativity of the innovation and the potential positive impact. Learn more at www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/?innovation.

Let's Move: Advocating to Make Michelle Obama's Vision of Ending Childhood Obesity a Reality

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

Yesterday Michelle Obama announced her nationwide initiative to prevent childhood obesity. She painted a picture of compassion, vision and engagement. I couldn't imagine anyone who saw her announcement and didn't walk away impressed and inspired.

It isn't about inches and pounds, and it's not about how kids look. It has nothing to do with that. It's about how our kids feel. And how they feel about themselves.

In my seven years working on this issue, I've never seen the messaging of an issue so complex and nuanced delivered so well and so concisely. She was able to paint a complete picture of a complex issue in less than 70 seconds. (For those looking for the video, you can get it here, and this message below starts at 39:30). If I may paraphrase:

Pediatricians are seeing high blood pressure, high cholesterol more and more kids with type II diabetes;

Our teachers are seeing bullying and teasing;

Our school counselors are seeing depression and low self esteem;

Coaches are seeing kids struggling to keep up or worse yet sitting on the sideline unable to engage;

Our military leaders are reporting that obesity is one of the most common disqualifiers for military service;

Economic experts tell us that we are spending outrageous amounts of money treating obesity related conditions;

And public health experts are telling us that our current generation is on track to have a shorter life span than their parents;

And none of us want this future for our kids or for our country.

And most importantly, for those watching, she was able to deliver a message that spread the blame, without pointing fingers.

Many parents desperately want to do the right thing, but they feel the deck is stacked against them. They know their kids' health is their responsibility, but they feel it is completely out of their control.

The first lady did a remarkable job of framing this issue in a way that calls us all to action on behalf of children's health rather than calling out any one individual or group as a culprit. And this is where I realize how well she is navigating tricky waters.

The reality is that childhood obesity is an issue that exists precariously in the nexus of personal and political decisions. How do you talk about it in a way that moves systems-level change and not in a way that touches on personal sensitivities about weight? At HSC, we've often navigated this challenge by focusing on health, of course, and also on justice: all children deserve an opportunity to be healthy, and the reality is that our systems don't currently provide that opportunity to everyone.

While I'm glad to see Michelle Obama drawing attention to the systems-level nature of the problems that have gotten us to this point, I also hope that her initiatve will be effective in helping produce the systems-level change we'll need to solve the problem. When we all agree that the childhood obesity epidemic isn't the "fault" of any one group or one cause -- that it's not about bad parenting or bad foods or bad people -- we're left with the challenge of changing policies so that they support healthy lifestyles and the goal of eliminating childhood obesity.

Our current set of policies -- touching on food subsidies, education priorities, health care, urban planning and more -- affect how available healthy food and physical activity are for us and our communities. And while we all need to make healthy decisions for ourselves, at a very fundamental level we need systems that put us in a position of being able to make good decisions. We need policies that give all kids the opportunity to eat well and be active. 

The truth is our kids didn't do this to themselves. Our kids don't decide what's served to them at school or whether or not there's time for gym or recess. Our kids don't choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in super sized portions and to have those products marketed to themselves everywhere they turn. 

Yesterday's announcements and activities indicate that we're on the path to begin making policy change; along with the first lady's announcement, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum establishing a taskforce on childhood obesity and directing agencies such as the USDA to investigate and report back on what they can do to support the initiative's goal.

The first lady also launched LetsMove.gov, a website with tools and background on the initiative. The website includes information about relevant programs and resources; it also specifically addresses policy change that will make a difference on these issues. I'm especially heartened to see schools identified as one of the main areas of focus.

But nothing should be taken for granted; we all have a great deal of work ahead in helping ensure that this energy leads to the changes we need in schools.

One of the most pressing and timely ways we can do this is to speak up for a strong and well-funded reauthorization of the Child Nutrition program, which can bring healthier meals to more children who need them nationwide. President Obama's proposed budget makes it clear that child nutrition is a priority. Now we all need to raise our voices to let Congress know that this is the right priority. You can take action at HSC's online Child Nutrition resource center.

As part of this advocacy, we're also getting students involved in the Cooking up Change healthy cooking contests, creating healthy, tasty school meals and bringing those meals to Congress. You can learn more and get involved with Cooking up Change here.

We applaud the first lady's tremendous effort to end childhood obesity in a generation. As advocates, we can all learn from her engaging and caring approach to the issue. And we must all continue to advocate for the systems change that will make this impressive vision a reality.

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

New Research, and Inspiration in Personal Stories

by Amanda Chablani, HSC policy specialist

In part because of the ongoing healthcare debate, we’ve seen a slew of new research about the importance of prevention, healthy eating (and here), and regular exercise getting media attention. It’s always great to see research that supports healthy eating, physical activity and good environmental health. This data is incredibly valuable in supporting advocacy for health and wellness.

I have to admit, though, that it’s sometimes difficult for me to get personally excited about more and more research telling us about the benefits of wellness. When I think about the reasons we need policies to support healthy lifestyles, I often think first about the personal stories I’ve heard here at HSC about people who have been involved in efforts to make our schools and communities healthier.

I think about how Rosa Guzman, whom we blogged about here and whose story is now told in a book Be Well, is inspirational in her transformation from a woman who says she “lived on the couch” to an active mom, a leader in her community and an influential member of HSC’s Parents United for Healthy Schools coalition.

Each year we’re introduced to new culinary students from Chicago Public Schools who compete to create exciting healthy menus for our Cooking up Change benefit and healthy cooking contest, thereby helping us shine a spotlight on the incredibly challenging job of serving nutritious food in schools across the US. Some of these amazing students have talked about their experiences here and here.

And of course, this year hundreds of students from around the country told their own stories – and the stories of their school facilities – to members of Congress in the Through Your Lens photo exhibit on Capitol Hill.

Just as I appreciate and admire all the hard work that researchers are doing, I’ll continue to look to the individual stories of everyday people and the work they are doing in communities around the country for evidence of meaningful change and the true benefits of wellness.

School Nurses Face New Challenges & Find New Opportunities in Promoting Student Wellness

Interviews By Cynthia San Miguel, HSC intern

Now that winter has set in, school nurses are as busy as ever caring for students with colds or flu. But, year-round, school nursing is so much more -- nurses care for students with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma, as well as students with disabilities. They’re also leading the way in making health-promoting changes throughout the school.

With today's expanded role, school nurses face new challenges. Many challenges are related to the increase of children’s health needs which include diabetes, asthma and mental health, says Edmonds School District #15 school nurse Katie Johnson.  “More children are being identified with mental health conditions. There are more children who are able to be in school now because of more sophisticated health care -- students who were preemies, students who have received chemotherapy, students who wouldn’t have survived their condition years ago are now in school but need support to participate,” Johnson says. “The biggest challenge I deal with is a disparity between the resources I have available and the needs of the students.”

And students’ needs are great -– a lack of access to health care may mean that “for a number of families and students the school nurse is the only health care provider,” said Donna Mazyck, past president of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).

HSC’s developed its School Nurse Leadership Program to address the changing reality and increasing workload that school nurses tackle on a daily basis. The program uses curriculum written by nurses to prepare school nurses to assume leadership roles to promote wellness or environmental health in their schools. In three days, the school nurses learn about their leadership style, evidence-based research, meeting conduct, media relations and advocacy. School nurses create and deliver a presentation that is tailored to their schools’ needs. And school nurses learn from each other.

Kathleen Barta, associate professor of nursing at University of Arkansas says that when school nurses show leadership to promote wellness, they support health, safety, and policy development.  “The key is the principal and superintendent… the school nurse must develop those relationships. Data is a powerful tool for school nurses to keep track of the number of children, what the nurse is seeing and the pattern. All of these help the administrators see what is happening.”

Nurses may also lead by spearheading a school or district wellness committee, for example, or speaking up about the ways that a school’s indoor air quality has an impact on student health. For Johnson, even though her time is always stretched thin, she says she makes it a priority "to contribute a Note from the Nurse on various health topics to the monthly parent newsletter to teach parents about health, build awareness of my role as a nurse and availability as a resource for health questions.” 

Mazyck says: “School nurses are in the unique position to serve as liaisons with students, parents, school staff, community members, health care professionals, state and local government to promote student health and support student success… School nurses are the champion of healthy eating and health education.”

Safer Strategies for Pest Management in Schools

Today we have a special guest post on pest management in schools, from our friends at Beyond Pesticides.

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When children attend school, it's assumed that they are going to a safe environment, free of toxic chemicals that could harm them. New legislation seeks to make this assumption more of a reality. With the introduction of the School Environment Protection Act of 2009 (SEPA), H.R. 4159, some members [PDF] of Congress and public health, school employee, children’s health and environmental groups are saying that it's time to stop the unnecessary use of dangerous chemicals and help schools adopt afer strategies to prevent and manage pest problems. U.S. Representative Rush Holt and 14 of his colleagues put the legislation forward, building on more than a decade of state and local school pest management and pesticide use policies and on-the-ground experience from across the country.

 

SEPA requires that all public schools adopt integrated pest management (IPM) programs that emphasize non-chemical pest management strategies and only use defined least-toxic pesticides as a last resort. Least-toxic pesticides do not include pesticides that are carcinogens, reproductive and developmental toxicants, nervous and immune system poisons, endocrine disruptors, or have data gaps or missing information on health effects.

 

School is a place where children need a healthy body and a clear head in order to learn. Numerous scientific studies find [PDF] that pesticides typically used in schools are linked to chronic health effects such as cancer, asthma, neurological and immune system diseases, reproductive problems, and developmental and learning disabilities. Children’s bodies are especially vulnerable when exposed to pesticides, even at low levels. IPM in schools has proven to be an effective and economical method of pest management that can prevent pest problems and eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides in school buildings and on school grounds.

 

“Our nation must and can do a better job of protecting our children from diseases and illness that are caused because of chemical exposure,” said Kagan Owens, senior project associate at Beyond Pesticides. “We can start by protecting children in the place where they spend most of their young lives -- school.”

 

If you represent an organization and want to sign-on to a letter in support of the bill, please email Kagan Owens at [email protected]. To encourage your representatives to co-sponsor it, please visit Beyond Pesticides’ action page.

Share Your Comments on the HHS Healthy People 2020 Objectives

 By Amanda Chablani, HSC Policy Specialist

Every ten years, the US Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) publishes a set of national objectives to promote health and prevent disease. These objectives are used as a benchmark for assessing health interventions, lifestyle promotion activities, and the health of the nation over time. Because the process of developing the objectives is collaborative and HHS solicits wide stakeholder engagement, the objectives also serve as a public outlet where many government agencies and nonprofits come together to express their commitment to improving the wellbeing of all people across the country.

The next incarnation of these objectives, Healthy People 2020, is currently being developed for release next year, and HHS is currently accepting public comments.  Due to the important role schools play in promoting healthy, active lives, HSC has submitted comments on a number of these objectives. We’ve shared our comments with you below and encourage you to submit your own.

Please participate in this important process; your voice could help direct the efforts of health interventions over the next decade, and make a difference in the lives of countless children. 

Proposed Objective: PAF HP2020–2: Increase the proportion of the Nation’s public and private schools that require daily physical education for all students.

HSC Comment: Daily physical education for all students should be the standard in all elementary and secondary schools. The CDC has recommended that all children and adolescents, including those in elementary school, have an hour of daily physical activity. Because many students do not have access to open spaces or equipment outside of school, it is vital that schools allow for daily physical education. In addition to combating the rising epidemics of childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, daily exercise has been shown to improve children’s ability to focus in school. 

Proposed Objective: PAF HP202012: Increase the proportion of States and school districts that require regularly scheduled elementary school recess.

HSC Comment: Together with physical education, daily recess provides children with a regular opportunity for physical activity which is vital for healthy development. As well as the obvious physical benefits, daily scheduled recess gives children an opportunity to explore their own interests, collaborate with others, and resolve conflict without relying on an adult. Recess provides children time in the day for unstructured play, which is essential for social and cognitive development, and also a necessary break from academic work, allowing them to return to the classroom refreshed and ready to learn. Teachers and school administrators should be made aware that punishing students by restricting recess only reinforces the idea that recess is an ‘extra’ or ‘bonus’ as opposed to a vital part of every school day.

 

Proposed Objective: PAF HP2020–13: Increase the proportion of school districts that require or recommend elementary school recess for an appropriate period of time.

HSC Comment: Together with physical education, daily recess provides children with a regular opportunity for physical activity which is vital for healthy development. As well as the obvious physical benefits, daily scheduled recess gives children an opportunity to explore their own interests, collaborate with others, and resolve conflict without relying on an adult. Recess should be scheduled for at least 20 minutes, allowing children a sufficient amount of time for unstructured play. If recess is scheduled around the lunch period, it should come before the meal rather than after to ensure that students will not skip the meal. Recess should not be scheduled before classes begin for the day to ensure students do not simply arrive after the recess period is over.  

 

Proposed Objective: ECBP HP2020–4: Increase the proportion of the Nation’s elementary, middle, and senior high schools that have a nurse-to-student ratio of at least 1:750.

HSC Comment: Increasing the proportion of school nurses to a nurse to student ratio of at least 1:750 is critical. School nurses hold a unique role in supporting the health of students and the entire school population. In addition to providing health care to students and staff, school nurses promote a healthy school environment by serving as leaders within the school administrative body, supporting nutrition, physical activity, and health education programs, as well as evaluating school health care policies.

Proposed Objective: NWS HP2020–20: Increase the percentage of schools that offer nutritious foods and beverages outside of school meals.

HSC Comment:  By establishing health-promoting nutritional standards for food sold in schools outside of the school meals program, students will have more access to nutritious foods and less access to unhealthy snack foods. Competitive food items sold in schools, such as snacks and beverages from vending machines, must be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and with nutritional standards for school meals. 

 

Proposed Objective: AH HP2020–12: Increase the percentage of schools with a school breakfast program.

HSC Comment: Research has shown that students who eat breakfast score better on standardized tests, have a lower likelihood of disciplinary or psychological problems, have better attendance and less tardiness, and visit the school nurse less often. The School Breakfast Program provides at least a quarter of the daily level of nutrients that children need in order to be healthy. By supplying universal school breakfast, particularly in schools where there are a large number of students receiving reduced or free school lunch, we could ensure that students have what they need to perform well in school. 

Proposed Objective: EH HP2020–19: Increase the proportion of the Nation’s elementary, middle, and high schools that have official school policies and engage in practices that promote a healthy and safe physical school environment:

1. Have an indoor air quality management program.

2. Have a plan for how to address mold problems.

3. Have a plan for how to use, label, store, and dispose of hazardous materials.

4. Reduce exposure to pesticides by using spot treatments and baiting rather than widespread application of pesticide.

5. Reduce exposure to pesticides by marking areas to be treated with pesticides.

6. Reduce exposure to pesticides by informing students and staff prior to application of the pesticide.

7. Inspect drinking water outlets for lead.

8. Inspect drinking water outlets for bacteria.

9. Inspect drinking water outlets for coliforms.

HSC Comment: Healthy school environments are tremendously important to children’s health and academic success. Problems such as exposure to harsh chemicals, toxic building materials and mold negatively affect children’s ability to consistently attend school and learn, especially among the millions of children affected by asthma. Schools must address indoor air quality and limit student exposure to chemicals through comprehensive school environmental health policies that include indoor air quality controls, integrated pest management systems, green cleaning programs, and a hazardous materials disposal plan.

 

Proposed Objective: EH HP2020–25: (Developmental) Decrease the number of new schools sited within 500 feet of a freeway or other busy traffic corridors.

HSC Comment: While this recommendation is a positive step, recommendations for school siting must take into account many factors, including students’ exposure to hazardous substances, such as those that may be present on contaminated land or in areas with high pollution. In addition, schools should be sited in a location that allows children to increase their daily physical activity by walking or biking to school.

Moreover, during the planning process for new school sites, coordination between agencies is vital to ensure that the health of students is taken into consideration by all agencies, including but not limited to those representing the issues of transportation, education, commerce and energy.

We urge you to submit your own comments on the objectives. The deadline for public comments is December 31, 2009.

Gaming for Health: Can Online Games Transform 'Tween Eating Habits?

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

We've seen efforts to promote health through Wii and Dance Dance Revolution, but now the USDA is taking steps to integrate wellness into online gaming. The USDA is...

...launching the Innovations for Healthy Kids Challenge... by holding a national contest that will promote healthier dietary habits among children... This challenge is open to entrepreneurs, software developers and students to design a creative and educational game targeted to kids, especially "tweens," aged 9-12. 

And the USDA is providing access to a rich database of nutrition information, the MyFood-a-Pedia database, to help software developers build their games.

So while the details haven't been announced (and details do matter), it's really interesting to see how the Obama administration is getting so creative in getting health messages out. Obama was the first presidential candidate to place ads in video games after all, so it's interesting to see this non-traditional approach to communication strategy play out in public health initiatives.

We've seen USDA on Sesame Street, the White House on Iron Chef,  and now efforts to meet kids where they are: on the Internet.

What kind of game do you think would get the healthy-eating message out to the 'tweens you know?

Here's my idea: how about a school food Facebook game? Run your own school food service (think of a combination of Farmville and Restaurant City) where you need to stay within a very tight budget, make the food healthy, incorporate veggies from local farms and of course you need to make sure your customers (the students) like your food? Invite friends to help slice cucumbers, or try your healthy chicken jambalaya.  I think it could work. It could be the next big  Facebook game sensation. Anyone game?

No more Mafia Wars requests please. I'll spend my time building a successful school cafeteria.

We've yet to see how well the public health community (or others, such as the sustainability movement) will be able to harness online games to get their messages out. I think they have a fair chance of success, especially if they proceed with the input of the kids and online gamers they're hoping to reach. Which explains the contest. Kudos to the USDA for reaching out to kids, gamers, software developers and others for help in crafting a tool that will resonate with the 'tween audience they're hoping to reach.

For a more detailed (and sometimes academic) take on the place where online gaming and public health meet, check out the work of Games for Health, an organization of researchers, medical professionals and game developers who "share information about the impact games and game technologies can have on health, health care and policy."

Nutrition Labels Don't Tell the Whole Story. . . and Cereal Doesn't Protect You from H1N1

By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director

Is there anything nutrition labels can't do? They brag about the fiber in cereal, urge us to see the health benefits of mayo, and now they even alert us to the ways that breakfast cereal can keep us safe from swine flu!

But wait. That last one has gotten some attention from critics pointing out that Cocoa Krispies, though quite fortified with vitamins, are not a good food for keeping healthy during flu season. The resulting media storm comes as the FDA moves to clarify the rules for "front of food" labels, the colorful ones (like the ubiquitous "Smart Choices" check mark) that go on the front of packages.

It got me thinking about the more traditional and less-controversial Nutrition Facts labels, the ones that have been required on food packages since 1990.

First, a quick quiz:

Below are the nutrition facts from two breakfast cereals. Which one do you think is a healthier option?

Before I tell you which products these labels belong to, I'll share a little story.

Last week, my Sunday paper was delivered along with a free, individual-sized sample of a sugary breakfast cereal. I don't think I've ever actually purchased this cereal before (though I later learned that my wife grew up on it. . . which explains why I later found the empty carton in the garbage), so I was intrigued to read the label.

What stood out to me was how healthy the nutrition label seemed. It was quite similar -- based on the nutrition label -- to the cereal I eat myself, and even to the cereal we feed our son. In fact, at first glance, the nutrition label for the sugar cereal may even look a little better than the label for the cereal I feed my kid. I mean, it lists more fiber, more vitamins. . . not bad. And the packaging even highlights the additional fiber in each serving. Maybe this is health food at its best?

So to the average label-reading consumer, cereal #1 seems great. (Of course, the average label-reading-consumer is already confused by what these labels mean, but that's a story for a different day.)

Labels aside, it didn't make sense to me that a highly processed sugary cereal would be more healthy than a less-processed one. The next step, then, is to check out what's actually in the cereal.

Let's look past the big bold letters of the Nutrition Facts and read the smaller print of the ingredient lists. Check out the lists below and ask again: which one is a healthier option? The labels are in the same order. And remember: ingredients are listed by weight, so the first ingredient is the one that's used most in the product.

To me, this experience illustrated  how unhelpful a nutrition label can be without context and information about ingredients. (And I'll take cereal #2, please.)

In the context of school food, this experience parallels the changes that the Institute of Medicine is recommending that schools move away from nutrition-based menu planning and moving toward food-based menu planning. This would mean that meals would be designed to focus on green and orange vegetables, for example, rather than on certain milligrams of vitamin B6 and Riboflavin. It puts the concept of real food into the way we think about our meal planning -- both at home and for kids at school. It's a simple, common-sense system that can help us avoid the trap of purchasing foods just because the numbers read well on a label.

And for those inquiring minds... Cereal #1 and Cereal #2.