2 districts join effort against obesity
Schools in Sumner, Murfreesboro adopt state health program
By AILENE TORRES
Staff Writer
School districts in Sumner County and Murfreesboro are the latest to join a statewide push to combat an epidemic of obesity among school-age children.
The districts are getting grants of $95,000 and $75,000, respectively, to engage students, parents, staff and community members in creating an environment that focuses on physical activity, healthy eating habits and good social health.
"Murfreesboro City Schools receiving these funds will enable us to actually hire … someone responsible for coordinating (the program) throughout the district," said Cheryl Harris, the system's community relations coordinator.
"There are different facets of the program; one of the key ones is nutrition. We have been recognized as a leader in providing healthy foods. This person will be able to coordinate and work to take further steps."
Sarah Smith, the program's coordinator for the state's Department of Education, said 43 percent of Tennessee children are either overweight or at risk for being overweight.
The program, Coordinated School Health, started in 10 pilot school districts across the state in 2001. It is based on a model developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new round of grants, totaling $1.4 million, adds 19 more school systems.
All school districts across the state must implement the program for the 2007-08 school year. Metro Nashville Public Schools is expected to apply for the grant in March, the next application period, which would put the district on schedule to roll it out by the deadline, school officials said.
Each system will have an advisory committee formed at the county level, which will include expert representatives in each of the component areas from within the community, Smith said.
The eight components are health education, physical education and activity, health services, nutrition, health promotion for staff, counseling and psychological services, a healthy school environment, and parental and community involvement.
"One of the exciting aspects is it really does utilize and encourage the building of community partnerships to help achieve school system and community change so that students can be fully supported to achieve wellness as well as success," Smith said.
The education department has begun to record success in the 10 districts that began the program five years ago, she said.
"We know this model — among the pilot sites — has improved student behavior, increased school attendance and we have lower school drop-out rates," Smith said. "We know there are a whole lot of efforts to affect drop-out and graduation rates, but we know that all of our pilot schools had improved school drop-out rates.
"We know it's time to make changes and therefore time to see positive change in behaviors and student health.
Childhood Obesity in Tennessee