Nutrition within Shelby County Schools & Memphis City Schools

In most recent years major strides were made in the pursuit of healthier children with the state mandate replacing unhealthy snacks in vending machines with healthier options, as well as the federal mandate requiring free and reduced lunches to meet certain nutritional guidelines. Since then, the Memphis City Schools (MCS) system, in conjunction with community collaborators such as the Healthy Memphis Common Table, has put together a more focused health and activity curriculum. The primary goal of the K-6 health curriculum, as outlined on the MCS Web site, is to introduce and review basic information necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle. The MCS philosophy holds that health education should be a process providing learning experiences that supply information, change attitudes and influence behavior. While national standards of education don't consider health part of the core curriculum, mandates from the state of Tennessee compel the MCS system to go beyond federal suggestions and incorporate increased focus on health education. Specific topics of focus include individual responsibility for health, respect for the medical community, knowledge of health fads and adopting healthy behaviors. This content can be taught as a separate area or can be integrated into other core subjects. Physical education and recess has been cut across the country, but Tennessee handed down mandates to increase physical activity. Nationally, only 30 minutes of physical education is required per child, per week. Tennessee mandated 90 minutes and MCS upped it to 100. Memphis City Schools are making major moves in improving the nutrition, but Shelby County schools have been on the ball for quite some time. Shelby County schools are working harder to help students and staff eat healthier, and people in high places are taking notice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded 20 Shelby County schools with the Gold Medal of Distinction through the Healthier US School Challenge program. The schools recognize include all Shelby County elementary and intermediate schools. The school system has a central wellness policy, as well as wellness coordinators at each school. There is also a core menu implemented in every school, and a nutritional database to provide analysis of each meal served. The database is linked to the Shelby County Schools website. Feeding school children is big business; the federally funded National School Lunch Program provides free or reduced-cost lunches to 30m children across America each day. But the recession means that a growing number of children are eligible for subsidized meals; and healthy food, alas, can cost more than the salt-, fat- and sugar-laden variety. So in March the Senate Agriculture Committee unveiled the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, a bipartisan-backed bill that provides $4.5 billion for children’s nutrition, including more money for school lunches, over the next ten years. This legislation will allow more poor children to enroll in the lunch program and will make the lunches healthier with less pizza and more salads. The new bill is expected to help meet Barack Obama’s pledge to end childhood hunger by 2015.One in three American children is overweight or obese. Obesity is even affecting national security: a recent report estimates that 27% of Americans of recruitment age are “too fat to fight”. The new bill would mean more fresh fruit and vegetable purchases, a boost for Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign against obesity. http://www.economist.com/node/16274517 http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2010/09/01/county-schools-earn-gold-medal-for-nutrition-program/ http://memphismedicalnews.com/memphis-city-schools-take-active-role-in-promoting-healthy-behaviors-cms-1039