September 11, 2006 -- Survey Finds Many Wellness Policies Fall Short

Many of the federally mandated Local Wellness Policies schools were supposed to have in place at the beginning of the current school year do not meet minimum guidelines for nutrition and physical education, according to a preliminary survey of 112 school districts in 42 states by the organization Action for Healthy Kids. The Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental (WIC) Reauthorization Act passed by Congress in 2004 required every school district participating in federally subsidized school breakfast and lunch programs to develop and launch a Local Wellness Policy by the start of the 2006-2007 school year, with the policy to include goals for nutrition education and physical activity and nutrition guidelines for all foods and beverages available on school campuses during the school day. As of July this year, however, Action for Healthy Kids found compliance with the federal mandate varied widely across school districts, with only half meeting all of the minimum federal requirements. Forty percent of the plans failed to designate a person or persons responsible for implementing the wellness policy, 19 percent did not address issues of implementation or evaluation, 18 percent did not include goals for physical education, and 14 percent did not specify goals for nutrition education. Action for Healthy Kids noted that its survey was not comprehensive and provided only a "snapshot" of local policies. Further information is available at www.ActionForHealthyKids.org/wellnesstool/index.html