FEBRUARY 2017
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School
Wellness Policies
Are you looking for a way to help young Alaskans grow up at a healthy weight?
One
of the best ways to focus your efforts is helping your school district pass and
implement a strong school
wellness policy. Evidence of the importance of a strong school wellness
policy (also known as a student nutrition and physical activity policy) is so
clear that the federal government has mandated that every school district
receiving funds for school breakfast or lunch have one.
In Alaska, school wellness policies make a
difference
Alaska school surveys indicate that policy
works. A clear example can be seen regarding chocolate candy, other candy and
salty snacks in schools. The School Health Profiles Survey is conducted every other year in Alaska secondary
schools. Survey responses from public school principals show encouraging
progress in the availability of junk foods in Alaska schools and a clear
relationship between a school’s nutrition policy and which foods are actually
sold to children. As shown in the graph below, a major decline in the
availability of junk food in Alaska schools occurred in 2008, directly
following a federal requirement that all schools pass a wellness policy addressing
student nutrition and physical activity. The percentages of schools selling
candy, chocolate, and salty snacks were all cut in half compared to the 2002 levels.

What happened
next really supports the argument that policy makes a difference. Rather than a
constant decrease in junk food availability, declines leveled off for a couple
of years — until new regulations were released. In 2014, Smart Snacks nutrition standards began to specifically require that
“competitive foods” — snacks and beverages sold in vending machines, school
stores, snack carts, á la carte lines and fundraising efforts during the school
day — are nutritious and promote health. The graph shows that immediately
afterward, there was a second big drop in junk food availability. The percentages
of schools selling all three types of junk foods were cut in half again, compared to their 2008 levels. Wellness
Policies aren’t sitting on shelves in Alaska. Today, less than 11% of Alaska’s
schools sell chocolate candy, other candies, or salty snacks.
Now is the time to
help Alaska schools update their wellness policies
While most districts have a school wellness policy in
place, and there are some great success
stories of Alaska districts putting their policies into action, the summer
of 2016 brought both state and federal regulations that mean most Alaska
districts need to update their wellness policies this year. A new Alaska law
called “Mandatory
Physical Activity in Schools” was signed into law in July 2016 and went into
effect October 16, 2016.
All students in grades K-8 in Alaska schools must be provided
opportunities for nearly an hour of physical activity during each full school day.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule
on wellness policy implementation in July 2016. Now federal regulations don’t
just require schools to have a wellness policy on the books; they require
districts to report on implementation,
and to involve the community in developing and updating these policies. Schools
must be in compliance with all USDA local wellness policy regulations by June 30, 2017.
You can get involved in your district. Alaska’s Obesity Prevention and Control
Program, in concert with the Alaska Department of Education & Early
Development Child Nutrition Program, has developed a Gold
Standard School Wellness policy that meets all state and federal
requirements. Check out this flyer for some actionable steps to promote strong
wellness policies and Be
a School Wellness Champion.
For more information about school wellness
policies, contact Lauren Kelsey, Obesity Prevention School Partnership
Coordinator, at lauren.kelsey@alaska.gov. |