Authored by Rick Fortier
According to a study published last week, children and teens in states with strong policies restricting the sale of unhealthy snack foods and beverages in schools gained less weight than children and teens living in states without these school policies. The new study published in the journal Pediatrics helps to confirm that Let’s Go! and Maine schools are headed in the right direction when it comes to supporting the health of children in our communities. Here’s why:
Let’s Go!’s latest evaluation results* show that because of their participation in the 5210 Goes to School program during the past year, almost half of schools (49%) reported their district strengthened their wellness policy and nearly two-thirds (64%) reported their school did more to implement the district wellness policy and its recommendations around physical activity and healthy eating. Let’s Go!’s efforts have always been founded on evidence based policy and environmental strategies which create effective and sustainable change. The new study helps provide evidence that these types of strategies help to create long lasting change in our communities.
For a great summary of the study visit the write up provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Childhood Obesity – Newsroom webpage.
*Based on survey responses of 134 Let’s Go! registered schools during the spring of 2012.