Nutrition and Weight StatusHealthy People 2020

Marina Castanedo, Lauren Jones, Sasha Seiden

Nutrition and Weight Status

• Goal1

– “Promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights.”

• Overview1

– Healthful diet and healthy body weight– Individual behaviors, policies, and various

environments – Household food security and hunger elimination

Americans With a Healthful Diet1…

• Nutrient-dense foods• Include all food groups • Limit intake of saturated and trans fats,

cholesterol, added sugars, sodium, and alcohol

• Meet caloric needs• Avoid unhealthy weight gain

Americans With a Healthful Diet2

• Eating healthily and exercising regularly can help– Maintain healthy weight– Reduce risk of chronic disease– Promote overall health status– Growth and development in children

Weight Loss3

• Advantages of weight loss• How to achieve weight loss– Dietary Therapy– Physical Activity– Behavior Therapy

Overview of Objectives• NWS-2.2: Increase the proportion of school districts that

require schools to make fruits or vegetables available whenever other food is offered or sold

• NWS-10.2: Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are considered obese in children aged 6 to 11 years

• NWS-10.3: Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are considered obese in children aged 12 to 19 years

• NWS-12: Eliminate very low food security among children• NWS-13: Reduce household food insecurity and in doing so

reduce hunger

NWS-10.2 & 10.3

• Baseline: 17.4% of children aged 6-11 years were considered obese.

• Target: 15.7%

• Baseline: 17.9% of adolescents aged 12-19 were considered obese.

• Target: 16.1%

Background for 10.2 & 10.3

• Costly conditiono +$125 million/yr spent on hospital admittances9

• Lower math & reading scores in kindergarteno Increased behavioral and learning disabilities9

• In 2005-20088

o 17.4% of children (6-11 years)o 17.9% of adolescents (12-19 years)

• Increased rates, as well as heavier weights6

Importance of 10.2 & 10.3

• Physically, mentally, academically• Increased risk of chronic disease & premature

death• More likely to be overweight or obese adults4

• Economic impact & direct medical costs4

– $14 billion annual in direct health care expenses

Importance

• Minority youth populations at risk7

o Ages 6-11: o 22% Mexican Americano 20% African Americano 14% non-Hispanic

o Ages 12-19:o 23% Mexican Americano 21% African Americano 14% non-Hispanic

o American Indian children ages 5-18o 39% overweight/at risk

National Programs8

• Let’s Move!o “America’s move to raise a healthier generation of

kids”o American Academy of Pediatricso Chefs Move to Schoolo National School Lunch Program & Breakfast Programo HealthierUS School Challenge

State Programs in Washington• Washington State Nutrition & Physical Activity

Plan11

o Center for Safe Routes to Schoolo Unplugged12

o 30 Days Live! – students give up TV for a month• Washington State Senate Bill 543612

o Adopt nutrition & physical policies• Washington State Senate Bill 509312

o Encourages healthy food & beverages during school hours, school sponsored activities

Local Programs

• Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County6

o SMART Girls5

o Healthy Habits5

• Child Nutrition Program6

o USDA fundedo Provide nutritious meals & snacks to childcare

centers

• Food $ense Nutrition Program in Skagit County3

Gaps

• Programs aren’t fully funded2

• No programs are aimed towards minority groups• Time requirement for PE or recess vary1

• Food deserts8

• Should incorporate sleep health• Food companies market for children• Difficult to change attitudes

NWS 2.2 Only 6.6% of school districts require schools to make fruits or vegetables available

Importance of Objective

• School environments impact adolescent diets – 19-50% of daily calories at school12

• Too many unhealthy foods can damage brain2

– Academic impact• Motivation and attention12

• GPA9

• Obesity has more than doubled in last decade in school age children19

Background12

• ¼ of WA students eat 5+ fruits & vegetables a day

• 1 in 10 teens in WA are overweight• Shortened lunch periods• 90% of students have easy access to

unhealthy food• Focus on prevention, not treatment

What are kids eating at school?9

• Food brought from home• Federal school lunch or breakfast programs• Foods sold outside of meal programs– Vending Machines, snack bars, school stores• “Competitive Food”

– Much of schools revenue depends on competitive foods• Institutional fear results in unhealthy decision making

Competitive Foods9

• Vending Machines found in 17% of elementary, 82% of middle, and 97% of high schools– Low nutrient, energy dense (high calorie) food– Low income vs. high income schools?

• Availability of snacks in schools higher calorie intake– Decrease in fruits and vegetables

• USDA cannot regulate what is sold outside of mealtime

National Programs

• Lets Move!6 – Healthier US School Challenge17

• National School Lunch & Breakfast Program13

– Low cost/free lunches to children living in poverty

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program16

– Outreach to low income schools

• Farm to School programs19 – Child Nutrition Act

National Programs

• FitPick4

• Healthy Schools Program1

– Make healthy foods at competitive pricing so they are a more available option for schools

• CDC & IOM make recommendations and policies consistent with Dietary Guidelines for Americans12

– 5-9 fruits and vegetables a day

State Programs in Washington

• Bills requiring nutrition and physical fitness policies in schools12

– Encourages school health advisory committees

• Farm to School programs19 – Local Farms-Healthy Kids

• WA State utilizes federal programs

Local Programs

• Whatcom County Statistics– 40.4% eligible for federal program assistance

• Fit Pick12

– Clark County

• Square Foot Nutrition Project20

– Weekly lessons & vegetable growing

Cultural Competence12

• Different perceptions of nutrition• Correct knowledge and attitude required

when dealing with dynamics of cultures• Delivery of information– Respect and awareness

• Goal: Reduce disparities in health outcomes

Gaps

• Lack of a standard of measure to assess policy strength

• Budget cuts in schools • Nutrition programs in schools • Support for agricultural programs• Competitive food

NWS-13

• “Reduce household food insecurity and in doing so reduce hunger”1

– 15% of American households unable to acquire adequate food2

– HP 2020 Target goal: 6.0 Percent– Retain 2010 Goal

• What is food security?– “access at all times to enough food for an active,

healthy life for all household members.” –USDA4

Importance5

• USDA measures food security annually– Domestic food and nutrition assistance programs

• Children often shielded from insecurity– 1.3 % of households with children insecure in

2008• 1/3 of food-insecure households had very low

food security 2008– 6.7 million (5.7 percent of all U.S. households)

• Variety of coping strategies

National Level• National School Lunch Program5

– Meet Dietary Guidelines for Americans• SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program)6

– Food Stamp Program• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)7

– Provides state grants to all 50 states– Targets low income, nutritionally at risk populations

• Healthy Food Financing Initiative8

– Eliminating Food Deserts in America

State Programs

• Washington Basic Food Program9

• WIC10

• Department of Agriculture10

– EFAP, TEFAP, CSPF• Partners in Action12

– Strengthen food assistance programs and improve economic security for low-income families and individuals

– Improve access to and awareness of food assistance programs

Local Programs13

• Bellingham Food Bank14

– Free groceries, open to all.– Food Bank Farm– Food 4 Tots– Small Potatoes Gleaning Project– Milk Money– Victory Gardens

Any Questions?