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Why is a healthy school nutrition environment so important?

Recent research helps answer this question. Studies show that:

• Nutrition is related to physical well-being, growth and development, readiness to learn, and risk of disease.

• Unhealthy eating habits that contribute to health problems tend to be established early in life; young persons who have unhealthy eating habits tend to maintain these habits as they age.

• Diet-related diseases include heart disease, some types of cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and osteoporosis.

• Some children are undernourished. Even moderate undernutrition can have lasting effects on children's growth, development, and school performance.

• Some children have problems with overnutrition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 5.3 million young people aged 6-17 years are overweight or obese.

• Regular physical activity promotes psychological well-being and long-term health benefits.

Medical costs, lost productivity and other expenses associated with nutritional problems add up to $71 billion a year.