Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Drafts Guidelines for Schools to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
Creating a community preventive services guide to promising school-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health conducted a review of the scientific literature and produced evidence-based guidelines for school health programs to promote healthy eating and physical activity to prevent obesity among children.
Key Results
- The researchers completed a draft document in June 2006 entitled School Health Guidelines to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Among Young People. The guidelines:
- Describe the most recent research findings on the relationships between nutrition, physical activity, obesity, health and disease.
- Summarize current trends in eating habits, physical activity participation and obesity prevalence among children and adolescents.
- Provide a rationale for school-based nutrition and physical activity programs.
- Provide examples of effective interventions.
- A 12-person panel composed of experts in the fields of childhood nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention met in July 2006 to review the draft document and suggest changes. (See Appendix for a list of expert panel members.)
Funding
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided an unsolicited grant of $50,000 from December 2004 through May 2006 to support creation of the guidelines.
After the Grant
The project team plans to publish a final version of the guidelines in early 2008.