The spotlight is on the issue of childhood obesity these days, especially with the launch of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” Initiative. NSBA, working with and through state school boards associations, has announced it will identify at least one school board member in each state to be a “visible champion” in this effort at the local level.
The numbers are sobering as high as one third of our nation’s children are affected by excess weight, and the number is growing fast. “Let’s Move” is taking on this huge challenge by mobilizing community leaders and parents across the country to get kids to exercise and make more healthy food choices.
As BoardBuzz knows, an important part of this equation is schools. School leaders play an essential role in supporting policies that promote physical exercise during and after school hours, and in improving the quality of the meals supplied to students. NSBA’s School Health Programs has more information on this topic on their website, including research data for making informed decisions on policy, and resources to help implement goals.
The 2010 NSBA Annual Conference will feature programming on school health and wellness topics that will delve into the issue of how nutrition affects performance, take a look at some districts that have successfully collaborated with the community to create healthy schools, and examine how schools can work with families to promote healthy kids.
