Nutrient analysis of competitive foods pre- and post-wellness policy implementation in three area schools

The increase in the prevalence of overweight children has reached epidemic proportions. Schools provide a viable setting for fighting childhood obesity by teaching healthy nutrition practices in the classroom and creating healthy environments in the cafeteria. This study investigated the impact of a local wellness policy in one Virginia county outlining nutritional standards for competitive food offerings implemented during the 2006-2007 school year. As a result, students in three area schools purchased a significantly smaller number of calories, and grams of fat, saturated fat, and carbohydrates during the post-policy school year of 2007-2008 than during the pre-policy school year of 2004-2005. The potential savings in daily calories per student in the three schools ranged from 57-93 calories. The positive impact of wellness policy implementation in schools is further reinforced by providing an effective nutrition education program which increases the knowledge, skills, and abilities of students to lead a healthier lifestyle.