PHOENIX (Friday, November 20, 2009) -- Arizona Schools Chief Tom Horne today announced major progress in getting our students to eat healthier food. The percentage of secondary schools in Arizona in which students could not purchase less nutritious food and beverages, such as candy and soda, increased significantly between 2006 and 2008, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Arizona ranked among the 10 best states in the percentage of secondary schools that did not sell less nutritious food and beverages from vending machines or at a school store, canteen, or snack bar in 2008.
Horne stated: “I am pleased that the school health policies and programs in our state have led to impressive improvements in the foods and beverages available to students. It is so important to have healthy habits when you are young and growing so you can have healthy habits as an adult. Students that eat healthier, typically, perform better.”
The CDC study found that in 2008, in 66.6% of secondary schools in Arizona, students could not purchase chocolate candy, other candy, baked goods and salty snacks that are not low in fat, and soda or fruit drinks that are not 100% juice. The percentage of secondary schools in Arizona in which students could not purchase soda or fruit drinks increased from 56.9% in 2006 to 81% in 2008. The percentage of secondary schools in Arizona in which students could not purchase candy or salty snacks not low in fat increased from 56.2% in 2006 to 71.7% in 2008.
CDC researchers found that the greatest improvements were seen in states such as Arizona that have adopted strong school nutrition standards and policies for foods and beverages sold in competition with school meal programs.
Horne added: “I was able to get legislation passed in 2005 requiring nutrition standards for all food and beverages in elementary and middle school. The standards apply to all foods and beverages sold in vending machines, snack bars, a la carte, fundraisers and school events during the normal school day. High schools participate on a voluntary basis, and it is encouraging to see this improvement in high school performance.”
“The school environment is a key setting for influencing children’s food choices and eating habits, according to Howell Wechsler, EdD, MPH, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH). “Further, by ensuring that only healthy food options are available, schools can model healthy eating behaviors, improve students’ diets, and help youth establish lifelong healthy eating habits.”
Superintendent Horne’s 2008 Healthy Bodies/Healthy Minds Goal was achieved by increasing the number of schools implementing quality physical education programs by a total of 10 and increasing the number of high schools implementing the Voluntary Arizona Nutrition Standards (VANS) for high schools. “Each year I want to add more and more high schools and this school year we have five more high schools on board,” said Horne.
The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, and territories. Profiles surveys are conducted every two years by education and health agencies among middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers. Profiles monitors the current status of school health education requirements and content; physical education requirements; school health policies related to HIV infection/AIDS, tobacco-use prevention, and nutrition; asthma management activities; and family and community involvement in school health programs.
Profiles is conducted among a representative sample of secondary schools in a state, large urban school district, or territory. Profiles data are collected from self-administered questionnaires from the principal and the lead health education teacher at each sampled school. The 2008 report includes data from 47 states, 20 cities, and 4 territories.
For more information on state program efforts, visit www.ade.az.gov. To access School Health Profiles results for Arizona, visit CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, School Health Profiles Web site at www.cdc.gov/schoolhealthprofiles.
