Healthy and Ready to Learn
by David Satcher
Research shows that nutrition and physical activity affect student academic achievement.
Remember when children came home from school and played outside before dinner? When fast food was a novel treat, and soft drinks came in a cup small enough for a child to hold in one hand? When kids walked or rode their bikes to school and went home for lunch?
Things have changed in recent decades. Students no longer go home for lunch, restaurant serving sizes have expanded along with customers' waistlines, and many children—out of desire or necessity—stay indoors watching television or playing computer games. Only 2 percent of school-age children in the United States consume the recommended daily number of servings from all five major food groups (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1994–1996). Schools have changed, too, selling candy, chips, and soda while offering fewer opportunities for students to be physically active.
During the last two decades, many school systems have abolished recess and cut back on physical education and extracurricular sports. According to the American Association for the Child's Right to Play, an estimated 20 percent of all elementary schools in the United States have dropped recess in favor of more classroom time (Tyre, 2004). Fewer than 25 percent of children in the United States get at least 30 minutes of any kind of daily physical activity (International Life Sciences Institute, 1997), and fewer than 30 percent of U.S. high school students attend physical education class every day (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999). Not surprisingly, these cultural shifts have resulted in a marked decline in children's health.
Today, 9 million children in the United States are overweight—triple the number in 1980 (Ogden, Flegal, Carroll, & Johnson, 2002). Poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles are the root causes. The incidence of overweight in children is much higher among African American and Latino children than in other groups (Hoelscher et al., 2004; Thorpe et al., 2004).
Overweight and obesity are not just cosmetic issues—they are health issues. Childhood weight problems can lead to elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, joint problems, Type II diabetes, gallbladder disease, asthma, depression, and anxiety (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Severely overweight children miss four times as much school as normal-weight children and often suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, and isolation from their peers (Schwimmer, Burwinkle, & Varni, 2003). These problems often continue into adulthood, with 70–80 percent of overweight children and adolescents becoming obese adults.
A Wake-Up Call to Schools
Schools can be a powerful catalyst for change when it comes to preventing and reducing overweight and obesity. The school setting is a great equalizer, providing all students and families—regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or level of education—with the same access to good nutrition and physical activity. Because children also teach their parents, important lessons learned at school can help the entire family.
In 2004, the nonprofit organization Action for Healthy Kids released a special report identifying the link among the factors of poor nutrition, inactivity, and academic achievement (2004). It is a wake-up call to schools: Improving children's health likely improves school performance.
The relationship is based on substantial research. Well-nourished students tend to be better students, whereas poorly nourished students tend to demonstrate weaker academic performance and score lower on standardized achievement tests. The majority of U.S. children are not eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Inadequate consumption of key food groups deprives children of essential vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins necessary for optimum cognitive function (Tufts University School of Nutrition, 1995). Children who suffer from poor nutrition during the brain's most formative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge (Brown & Pollitt, 1996). In a 1989 study, 4th graders with the lowest amount of protein in their diets showed the lowest achievement test scores (School Nutrition Association). A 2001 study revealed that 6- to 11-year-old children from food-insufficient families had significantly lower arithmetic scores and were more likely to repeat a grade (Alaimo, Olson, & Frongillo). Even skipping breakfast has been shown to adversely affect student achievement on problem-solving tests (Pollitt, Leibel, & Greenfield, 1991).
That nutrition affects academic achievement comes as no revelation. After all, as children we were told to eat our breakfast before leaving for school. What may come as a surprise, however, is that physical activity also plays an important role in students' performance—even when it uses time that is normally set aside for academics.
Students who participate in daily physical education exhibit better attendance, a more positive attitude toward school, and superior academic performance (National Association for Sport and Physical Education & Council of Physical Education for Children, 2001). Two studies demonstrated that providing more time for physical activity— by reducing class time—can lead to increased test scores, particularly in the area of mathematics (Shephard, 1997; Shephard et al., 1984). Another study linked physical activity programs to stronger academic achievement; increased concentration; and improved math, reading, and writing test scores (Symons, Cinelli, James, & Groff, 1997). The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports states that
Evidence suggests that time spent in physical education does not decrease learning in other subjects. Youth who spend less time in other subjects to allow for regular physical education have been shown to do equally well or better in academic classes. (1999)
The California Department of Education analyzed results of student physical fitness testing in 2001 and compared them with the same students' scores on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-9). The analysis showed that higher academic achievement correlated strongly with higher levels of fitness at each of the three grade levels measured (grades 5, 7, and 9). The relationship was greatest in mathematics: Girls in the higher fitness levels demonstrated higher achievement than males at similar fitness levels (2004).
Healthy Change
Educators across the United States are facilitating changes at the state, district, and school levels to improve student health. Collaborating in teams as part of the Action for Healthy Kids initiative, they are creating and distributing nutritional guidelines, educating policymakers, helping to develop school wellness policies, instituting changes in vending and other noncafeteria food sales, creating school health councils, and improving health education. The teams are successful because they are inclusive and grassroots, representing administrators, teachers, health professionals, community leaders, parents, and students.
The Arizona Action for Healthy Kids team worked in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Education and USDA Team Nutrition to create and implement a model healthy school policy in eight pilot schools (see "Arizona Healthy School Environment Model Policy"). The policy addresses food-service operation, nutrition education, food choices at school, physical education, and a healthy school environment. To facilitate implementation, each pilot school received $5,000–$10,000 as part of a USDA Team Nutrition grant. Among other improvements, participating schools replaced low- or no-nutrient foods with more healthful items, such as water, juice, low-fat milk, fruits, and vegetables.
Arizona Healthy School Environment Model Policy
Following are some guidelines for physical activity adapted from the Arizona Healthy School Environment Model Policy, modeled after the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) sample policy.
Recommendations for Physical Activity
Offer physical education courses in an environment in which students learn, practice, and are assessed on developmentally appropriate motor skills, social skills, and knowledge.
Provide students with at least 60 minutes of