Lets be realistic about school wellness programs…then maybe they’ll work
Last week a friend sent me another article on Michelle Obama’s Lets Move Campaign. The article focused a new policies where “unhealthy foods” would not allow to be advertised during the school day. In particular the article referred to the advertising of certain CocaCola company products not being allowed in schools. Keep in mind how much support the Coca-Cola company has given to many causes over the years, especially the Olympics.
“The idea here is simple – our classrooms should be healthy places where kids aren’t bombarded with ads for junk food,” the first lady said. “Because when parents are working hard to teach their kids healthy habits at home, their work shouldn’t be undone by unhealthy messages at school.” M. Obama
I am a little perplexed by what Mrs. Obama is trying to do. I’ve worked in schools for almost 30 years. I’ve never seen junk food advertising in any classroom. I haven’t seen a soda machine in schools for years. It seems as though she is trying to accomplish something that common sense dictated years ago. I’ve never seen advertising of any kind other than occasional vending machines in any school at any time. So basically Mrs. Obama is trying to achieve something that was initiated and successfully addressed at least 20 years ago. It’s also seems contradictory that advertising of “diet” drinks are going to be allowed. Personally I think the chemicals in diet drinks are even less healthy for children. Mrs. Obama, should we be promoting diet drinks to our school children?
I agree with the basic premise of Mrs. Obama’s Lets Move Campaign. When I look around any school I see many more kids that are heavier than they should be. But she is really missing the mark going after the large companies to decreasing their advertising basically because few actually advertise in schools and none on a large scale basis. Mrs. Obama should look at the name of her campaign and focus on getting kids moving. Schools can modify their schedules to extend recess, spend more time outside, make lunch more relaxing (and social) and provide better school lunches. Why focus on taking away something that is hardly there.
If Lets Move wants to support better nutrition in general, it should start a little closer to home. I’d like to know if Michelle Obama has ever seen or eaten a public school lunch? It’s been my experience to see, small portions served on cardboard or styrofoam trays, food that has been in a warmer for hours (yes hours), unappealing choices, mushy or dehydrated food and frankly poor quality food. Food programs at most schools have switched over from having school cooks to food services where the cooked food is shipped in and kept in warmers. Peek in any trash barrel in any school cafeteria and you will see just how much of “school food” is thrown out. When this much food it inedible or unappealing and not consumed, children have to be starving by the end of the school day. This can’t be good for blood sugar levels.
So how much are kids actually moving in a typical school day? This is going to vary from school to school. It’s been my experience that students have anywhere from 30-40 minutes to shove in their lunch wait for everyone to finish and then run out side to play for 15 or so minutes. Schools rarely provide playground equipment and frankly most kids don’t know how to organize games anymore. Recess is usually inconsistent lasting 15-30 minutes at most. Middle schoolers rarely get recess at all. In the winter time students in cold climates are at times confined to their classroom the whole day. Physical education classes meet for an hour once or twice a week. It’s also important to note that even if schools or principals want to increase their students movement time, the demands of Common Core puts significant limits on time allotted for recess and physical education.
How many exercise opportunities do children have outside the school day? Schools have so much to cover that even with the best intentions, schools can teach healthy habits but cannot provide adequate opportunities to exercise. Perhaps Mrs. Obama’s program should put more effort into developing opportunities to exercise outside of the school day and encouraging parents to take advantage of those opportunities. Instead of alienating large corporations such as Coca-Cola use them to help fund new exercise, sports or dance programs. Children especially from less affluent communities have fewer opportunities to join organized teams, exercise programs or lessons.
Children from all socioeconomic levels are spending an inordinate amount of time playing video games. This is hard to believe but some students actually believe they are playing sports when playing video games. Children are now being raised by video gamers and instead of shooting hoops in the backyard, parents and children now play video games together. If they’re playing video games they are usually not getting much exercise. Perhaps if Michelle Obama and Let’s Move is so adamant about going after corporations that produced less than nutritious food then perhaps they should also go after video game manufacturers since video games keep kids from moving. An awful lot of computer games are used in schools too, some with little to no educational value.
Let’s Move has been in place for 4 years now and other than absurd wellness programs that have infiltrated schools I haven’t seen many changes in students physical well being. These wellness programs have sucked all the fun out of any school celebration since no treats of any kind are allowed. Basically you can’t give a hungry kid a granola bar anymore. Even students who have yearly physicals are being weighed at school and told they are fat in very public ways. And to top it off school lunches are still awful. It’s time to be a little more realistic when it comes to developing wellness programs in schools. Mrs. Obama should put some initiatives together that are realistic, actually have a chance to be successful and might accomplish something.
Setting examples for good nutrition and exercise in schools:
- Provide nutritious and appealing meals for school lunches
- Have school lunches prepared at schools and use locally grown veggies and fruits whenever possible
- Build in more time for a relaxing meal
- Don’t have kids eat where they work even at snack time
- Allow wellness plans some flexibility, reasonable treats should be allowed on special occasions.
- Allow more time for recess, provide typical playground equipment and teach students how to organize typical playground games.
- Allow longer and flexible breaks after lunch especially for older students where they have some choice on how they manage their time
- Provide physical education classes at least 2-3 days a week, rather than focus on playing games, teach underlying skills, traditional and other types of exercises, how to organize games and provide cardio workouts.
- Provide an outdoor recess whenever possible.
- Encourage students to participate in community based opportunities to exercise, play organized sports or take lessons such as dance or gymnastics.
Wow, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your comments! You are right on with everything you say! When I first started working in schools, they still had the cafeterias where the food was prepared, even in elementary schools, and now it is all prepackaged, and not very appealing. My school district still has PE teachers at the elementary level, they do teach underlying skills, yet it is only twice a week. We do have some playground equipment, though there never seem to be enough balls for all who want them, and I agree that kids do not know how to form games and there are lots of arguments over who is following the ‘rules’.
I am lucky enough to live in a nice climate, so we get lots of chances for outside play, but so many kids tell about all the video games they play. Either that, or they are over scheduled, driving from event to event, and sitting in cars, playing hand held video games. Thank you for this topic.
While I am a fan of Saturday Night Live, I’m usually asleep before it comes on these days. I found this recent skit on SNL with Michelle Obama promoting her Lets Move program. First of all I want to know why a first lady of the United States would participate in such an absurd (and poorly written) skit. This was not a very dignified thing to do. Not to mention, what child below teenage years is actually up watching SNL. Was this perhaps a message to parents? I just thought the whole thing was stupid (I never like using that word). Come on Michelle this was a very immature thing to do. I’m shocked your PR people allowed you to do this. If they did it is time to get new PR people, if it was your idea you really need to look at your behavior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOK4aBYNh3s
http://www.balancedandbarefoot.com/blog/the-real-reason-why-children-fidget
I wonder if Michelle Obama realizes this is what her program should be targeting. I doubt she even understands the connection.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3101825/Now-Michelle-Obama-goes-s-mores-Lady-s-MyPlate-wants-Americans-make-chocolate-marshmallow-campfire-snack-healthy.html
Now Mrs. Obama wants to take away smores….come on has she ever even had one. She is suggesting a strawberry yogurt graham cracker sandwich could replace a smore is absurd. Half of the fun of eating a smore is making them and getting sticky. I eat strawberries and yogurt all the time the though of putting something I like between two pieces of graham cracker, actually adds calories. One similarity is that you would get very messy eating her concoction. Imagine the yogurt dribbling down your chin and on to your shirt. Someone should remind Mrs. O you eat yogurt with a spoon for a reason. Does she realize that kids are not eating smores on a regular basis but once in awhile over the course of the summer. Her policies and suggestions around food are never going to work.