Federally-Mandated Local Wellness Policies for School Districts by Anne S. Murphy PhD, RD - February 2006



Eating patterns during adolescence can influence long-term nutritional status and have a significant impact on the risk for developing chronic diseases of adulthood. Healthy foods and beverages that are available and promoted at school can influence students’ dietary choices and nutrient status. To promote nutrition education, physical activity opportunities and nutrition standards for foods/beverages offered at school in addition to school meals, Congress has mandated the development of Local Wellness Policies for all school districts. Establishing and implementing district-wide Local Wellness Policies (LWP) is an important step to create school environments that offer and encourage healthy choices for students to support positive eating behaviors and decrease the risk of childhood obesity.


The Regulation

On June 30, 2004 Congress passed section 204 of Public Law 108-265 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.(1) It requires each local educational agency (LEA) that participates in the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) to develop a local wellness policy by July 1, 2006 and implement it by the "first day of the school year beginning after June 30, 2006."(1)

The first step in the development of the LWP is to form a Coordinated School Health Team to create the policy and provide ongoing review. The following should be involved: parents, students, school administrators (superintendent, building principals) and representatives from the school food authority, the school board and the public. Recommended members include: a school counselor, teachers (including specialists in the areas of health and physical education), a representative from school health services such as a School Nurse and/or a community health professional. These teams could benefit from including a registered dietitian (RD) to offer information and resources related to nutrition standards and nutrition education. Accessing, reviewing and sharing the tools included in this document could help RDs take a leadership role in the creation of a LWP. Involvement on LPW teams is also beneficial to RDs since it offers an opportunity to join a group of professionals that have the goal promoting healthy eating and decreasing students' risk for obesity.

The LWP developed by each district needs to include at least the following:(1)

  • Goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the LEA determines appropriate.
  • Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity.
  • An assurance that reimbursable school meals meet the USDA regulations.(2)
  • A plan for measuring implementation of the LWP, including designation of at least one person within the LEA to ensure that schools meet the LWP.

Nutrition Education

The primary goal of the nutrition education component of the LWP is to provide the information needed to help students choose healthy foods and beverages and opportunities to do so while on the school campus. Ideally the LWP goal would include the development and implementation of a plan for students (K to 12) to learn nutrition concepts, preferably by integrating nutrition information into core subject areas and aligning it with state standards and benchmarks. Nutrition education and messages should go beyond the classroom to be provided in the cafeteria (posters, nutrition information about foods served) and hallways (displays). Schools can join USDA’s Team Nutrition to obtain resources and apply for funding to make changes in the school environment.(3)


Nutrition Standards

Schools must establish standards that relate to all foods and beverages sold or served to students. This includes food offered for a la carte, in vending machines, at snack bars or school stores and at concession stands on school campuses. This allows opportunities for students to make healthy choices throughout the day and while attending events during non-school time. Schools are encouraged to establish and implement policies to offer healthy options as part of: school events (open houses, parent-student conferences), classroom and school-wide celebrations, and at concessions for sporting events and other activities at school.(4) Additionally, schools should not have fundraising activities that sell foods of low-nutritional value (candy, cookies).(4)


Physical Activity

The primary goal for the physical activity (PA) component of LWPs is to provide opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills to participate in PA, maintain fitness and understand the role of PA in good health. Opportunities for PA should be provided to all students, formally and informally, through before- and after-school activities as well as during lunch time or other breaks. At a minimum, students should have opportunities for 60 minutes of activity on most or all days of the week. An emphasis on teaching students skills needed for lifetime physical fitness activities is encouraged and can be accomplished through teacher participation in training such as the Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC).(5) Schools should establish and implement policies to prohibit use of physical activity as a punishment or to withhold recess from students to make up missed instructional time or as a punishment. In addition to increasing minutes of required PE, options for electives should be offered and use of waivers to exempt students from PE should be minimized. Participation in Walk-to-School Day,(6) Hoops for Heart,(7) Jump Rope for Heart,(8) Safe Routes to School,(9) ACES (All Children Exercising Simultaneously)(10) and development of walking/mileage clubs are other ways for schools to support PA. Increasing the amount of physical activity in the classroom can be achieved by using Brain Breaks(11) or Take 10.(12)


Other School Based Activities

In addition to providing nutrition education, complying with nutrition standards and offering opportunities for physical activity, LWPs need to include goals for "other activities" at school that promote healthy choices. Examples include allowing enough time for students to eat and socialize, offering recess before lunch(13) and providing a safe and supervised area for students to eat and be physically active. Scheduling recess before lunch results in students eating more of their lunch since they are not hurrying to get outside to enjoy their break time with their friends. Schools should consider creating policies to prohibit use of food to reward students(4) or to punish them by withholding food other students receive.


Implementation and Measurement

The district superintendent (or designee) needs to monitor implementation and compliance with the LWP with assistance from building principals and the Coordinated School Health Team members.


Technical Assistance

Model policies have been developed by several states and provide a template for development teams to work from.(14) They offer examples of appropriate goals for the four core areas of the LWP: nutrition education, nutrition standards, physical education and physical activity opportunities, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Some states have already adopted policies that support LWP requirements that could be valuable to LWP development teams in other states. The State Board of Education in Michigan adopted three policies to encourage healthy eating and physical activity. One promotes formation of Coordinated School Health Teams to establish policies and opportunities to support healthy choices because "schools cannot achieve their primary mission of education if students and staff are not physically, mentally and socially healthy."(15) A second policy recommends guidelines for foods and beverages offered in venues other than the school meals;(16) a third state-endorsed policy related to "Quality Physical Education."(17) Additionally, Michigan Action for Healthy Kids has developed a tool kit with handouts including steps to implement LWPs ("Healthy Choices in All Venues," "Alternatives to Using Food As A Reward," "Healthy School Parties" and "Smart Fundraisers for Today’s Healthy Schools").(4)

To assist school LWP teams to assess their school health environment, an evaluation tool has been developed through a collaboration of state-level health professionals; the Healthy School Action Tool (HSAT),(18) is a modification of the CDC School Health Index and USDA's School Improvement Checklist (from the Changing the Scene Kit). This tool takes school teams through the process of assessing the eight components of a Coordinated School Health Program at the building level and developing an action plan to create policy and opportunities that promote and support healthy eating and physical activity. Completion of the HSAT on a yearly basis and updating the related Action Plan provides information about progress toward a healthier school environment.


Written by: Anne Murphy, PhD, RD; Consultant, Nutrition Education Evaluation Services; murphyanne@comcast.net.

References

  1. Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Section 204 of Public Law 108-265. June 3, 2004. Available at: teamnutrition.usda.gov/Healthy/108-265.pdf and teamnutrition.usda.gov/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  2. Title 7 CFR: United States Department of Agriculture, Chapter ii, Food and Nutrition Service, Part 210 and 220. Available at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/7cfr210_04.html.. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  3. Join the team. Available at: teamnutrition.usda.gov/team.html. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  4. Michigan Action for Healthy Kids Coalition. Tips and Tools to Help Implement Michigan’s Healthy Food and Beverage Policy. Available at: www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/toolkit.pdf.
  5. Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum. Available at: www.michiganfitness.org/EPEC. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  6. Walk to School Day. Available at: www.walktoschool-usa.org/ and www.saferoutesmichigan.org/. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  7. Hoops for Heart. Available at: www.americanheart.org/hoops. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  8. Jump for Heart. Available at: www.americanheart.org/jump. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  9. Safe Routes to School Program Information. Available at: www.saferoutesinfo.org/ and www.saferoutesmichigan.org/. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  10. ACES Program. Available at: www.projectaces.com/. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  11. Brain Breaks. Available at: www.emc.cmich.edu/BrainBreaks. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  12. Take 10. Available at: www.take10.net/. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  13. Recess Before Lunch Policy Implementation Guide. Montana Team Nutrition Program. Office of Public Instruction School Nutrition Programs. September 2003. Available at: www.opi.state.mt.us/schoolfood/recessBL.html. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  14. Model Wellness Policies or PowerPoint presentations about them. Available at: www.eatright.org/ada/ada/files/ADAWellnessPolicy.ppt, www.actionforhealthykids.org/resources_wp.php, www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy_examples.html (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and South Carolina Policies) and www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/ (Michigan Policy). Accessed February 28, 2006.
  15. Michigan State Board of Education. Policy on Coordinated School Health Programs to Support Academic Achievement and Healthy Schools. Adopted September 25, 2003. Available at: www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/CSHP_Policy_77375_7.pdf. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  16. Michigan State Board of Education. Policy On Offering Healthy Food and Beverages in Venues Outside of the Federally Regulated Child Nutrition Programs. Adopted December 18, 2003. Available at: www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/Stateboardofeducationnutritionpolicy12003.pdf. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  17. Michigan State Board of Education. Policy on Quality Physical Education. Adopted September 2003. Available at: www.michigan.gov/documents/HealthPolicyPE_77380_7.pdf. Accessed February 28, 2006.
  18. Healthy School Action Tool. Available at: www.mihealthtools.org/schools/HSAT.pdf. Accessed February 28, 2006.


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