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Research shows that a child’s health can be a significant determinate of his or her adult health.  Unfortunately, children across America are already unhealthy due to poor nutrition and infrequent and non-vigorous physical activity.  These issues can be exacerbated in low-income areas where there is often a lack of healthy food options and few safe areas for physical activity and the lack of health care in these communities only worsens the problem.  As with many other health conditions, there are great disparities between populations- disproportionately impacting the schools of greatest need.
Current Rates of Childhood Obesity

• More than one in four children in California is overweight.
• Nearly 40% of California Children are physically unfit.
• The obesity rate is higher for African-American, American Indian, and Latino youth than it is for other ethnic groups.
• There are twice as many overweight children and three times as many overweight teens than there were 20 years ago.

Childhood Obesity and General Health

• Children who are obese have a 70-80% chance of becoming obese adults.
• Children today may be the first generation to not outlive their parents due to diabetes and other risk factors of being overweight.
• 60% of overweight 5-10 year olds have at least one risk factor for
  • Heart disease or diabetes
  • High levels of fats in their bloodstreams
  • High blood pressure
  • High insulin levels
• Overweight children are prone to bone and joint problems and sleep apnea.

Childhood Obesity and Mental Health
Overweigh children are prone to the following:

• Depression and isolation from peers
• Stigmatization and poor self-esteem

While it is clear that good nutrition and regular and vigorous activity are good for children’s health, it has also become apparent that these activities can help improve learning and the chances of academic success.
Nutrition Affects Brain Function
Children’s brain function is diminished by:

• Short term or periodic hunger
• Missing or skipping meals

A common result of poor nutrition is an iron deficiency, which can lead to:

• Fatigue and shortened attention span
• Reduced resistance to infection, which leads to missed days of school
• Poor scores on vocabulary and reading tests

Students who eat breakfast show:

• Increased math and reading scores
• Increased attention
• Reduced nurse visits
• Improved classroom behaviors

Physical Activity and Learning

• Well nourished, active students have better concentration, school attendance, and test scores.
• Higher achievement is associated with higher fitness levels for 5th, 7th, and 9th graders, especially in math.
• Students who spend more time in PE and less time in class do not have lower grades or test scores, and in fact often have higher scores.
• In a Los Angeles Unified School District pilot program, three elementary schools with increased physical activity minutes showed a significant increase in fitness and API scores.
• Teachers rate classroom behavior higher when the children have had recess.
• The on-task classroom behavior of elementary school students improves when they are given time for physical activity breaks.

Nutrition is not only a health issue, but one that also affects a student’s ability to learn and perform well.  Undernourished and poorly-nourished children attain lower scores on standardized tests, have less energy and decreased concentration, and miss more school.  It is imperative that schools address the nutritional needs of students in order that all students are able and ready to learn.
Did you know?

• Only 2% of Californian teenagers meet key diet and physical activity recommendations.
• About 25% of the food that adolescents eat is considered to be junk food.
• 90% of children’s bone mass is established by age 17 through calcium intake and weight bearing exercises.
• Nationally, dental illness, including decay due to diet, results in more than 51 million hours of school lost each year nation-wide.

State Action
California has put into place legislation to improve nutrition among school-age children.  Below are some examples of what California has done recently.

• SB 12 (2005): This law set nutritional standards for the food sold and served on school campuses.
• SB 965 (2005): The passage of this law prohibited the sale of soda on school grounds in student accessible areas during the school day.
• SB 80 and SB 132 (2007): These laws established nutritional standards for free and reduced price meals including regulations of trans-fats.

Teachers Make a Difference
There are many ways in which teachers can improve student nutrition through classroom based interventions and at the state or district level.  Some of the recommended activities include the following:

• Provide only healthy and nutritious foods or non-food items as performance rewards.
• Promote healthy celebrations for birthdays, end of the year parties, or other events.
• Integrate health into the curriculum.
• Encourage local associations to become more aware of and advocate for programs such as Universal Breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom, and recess before lunch.
• Become aware of the district Wellness Policy, consider participation on the Wellness Committee, and encourage local association leadership to become knowledgeable about policy language and implementation.

While the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds project is currently in the initial planning stages and still developing resources for teachers, there are many organizations that have been working on these issues for many years and have developed useful teacher resources.  Please visit the resources section of the website to learn more about opportunities to influence nutrition in your classroom, school, or district.  Additionally, many creative teachers throughout California have developed innovative projects.  You can learn more about this in Take Action.  

Students who are provided with adequate physical education and physical activity have greater chances for lifelong health and academic success.  However, many students do not receive sufficient physical education or opportunities for physical activity.
Knowing the Terms
Physical education, like all subjects, comes with its own terms and definitions.  For teachers who are not as familiar with physical education, here is a quick overview of terms.

• Physical Education (PE) is a planned sequential instruction that equips students with the knowledge, skills, capacities, values, and enthusiasm to maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle into adulthood.
• Physical Activity (PA) is defined as moving one’s body in any way.
• Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) involves a range of physical activity that provides adequate health benefits.  Moderate intensity is a minimum level and includes brisk walking or bicycling.  Vigorous intensity is associated with large increases in breathing or heart rate, for example jogging, aerobic dancing, or cycling uphill.

Did You Know?

• School physical activity has declined significantly since the 1970’s with 12 hours of free time lost per week, a 25% decrease in play time, and a 50% decrease in unstructured outdoor activity.
• Most students fall short of the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day.  For example, among female students 12 to 15 years old, only 3% meet the recommended minutes and only 10% of male students 12 to 15.
• The quality of physical education programs is not equal across social and economic statuses.  Students in affluent schools spend 20% more time in moderate to vigorous physical activity than students in low income schools.  Furthermore, students in the fittest low-income schools engage in about as much moderate to vigorous physical activity as students in the least fit higher income schools.

State Requirements
California requires that students participate in a minimum number of minutes in physical education and to be tested on their level of physical fitness.

• Elementary students, grades 1 through 6, are required to have a minimum of 200 minutes of physical education every ten days.*
• Secondary students, grades 7 through 12, are required to have minimum of 400 minutes of physical education every ten days.*
• Every two years, districts must administer a physical performance test to students in grades 5, 7, and 9.  These results are reported to the California Department of Education (CDE).  To see the tests and results, please visit the CDE website.

* These requirements may vary based on the structure of your school (e.g. kindergarten through eighth grade rather than kindergarten through sixth grade).  For more information, please visit the California State Board of Education’s website.
State Action
California has put into place legislation to improve physical education and activity opportunities for school-age children.  Below are some examples of what California has done recently.

• SB 896 (1998) requires that every two years districts administer a physical performance test to students in grades 5, 7, and 9 and submit these results to the California Department of Education.
• AB 1793 (2002) requires the State Board of Education to adopt physical education curriculum content standards, encourage districts to employ credentialed physical education teachers and encourage that physical education be taught for no less than 200 minutes every ten school days.
• SB 1868 (2002) secures the establishment of courses in physical education in elementary and secondary schools.  Physical education manuals must be distributed to all teachers.
• SB 78 (2003) effective 2007, students must pass the Physical Fitness Test in 9th grade to be eligible to receive a two year exemption from physical education.
• SB 1131 (2006) provides one time funds to use for professional development, equipment and supplies for physical education.
• SB 601 (2007) establishes criteria for granting two-year exemptions from physical education and requires state review of districts’ compliance with physical education instructional minutes and other program requirements.

Teachers Make a Difference
Even if you are not a physical education teacher, and especially if you are, you can help improve physical education and physical activity opportunities for your students.  As a teacher, you can:

• Take short classroom activity breaks, lasting five to ten minutes, inside the classroom.
• Encourage students to set personal fitness goals.
• Reward participation in physical activities rather than achievement.
• Refrain from punishing students with exercise.
• Get involved with your district wellness policies.
• Find out if students in your school or district are receiving the minimum required minutes with at least 50% of those minutes spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• Encourage your association to learn more about programs such as Safe Routes to School that encourage walking and biking.  Discuss possible implementation with district personnel.

While the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds project is currently in the initial planning stages and still developing resources for teachers, there are many organizations that have been working on these issues for many years and have developed useful teacher resources.  Please visit the resources section of the website to learn more about opportunities to influence physical education and physical activity in your classroom, school, or district.  Additionally, many creative teachers throughout California have developed innovative projects.  You can learn more about this in Take Action.