Preventing Childhood Obesity - Evidence Policy and Practice.pdf

Chapter 30
Forty - three countries in the European region are now
members of this network. The basic values underpinning
the health promoting school approach are:
• equity
• active participation of students
• development of students ’ action competence
• importance of the social and physical environment
of the school
• integration of health promotion policies as part of
school development.
In 1997, the first European conference on school
health promotion resulted in the identification of ten
principles for school health promotion, 11 including
democracy, equity, empowerment and partnership. In
this network it was recognized that health and education
are closely linked. Health status is related to
access to schools as well as the ability to learn. There
is a lot of evidence indicating that healthy students
learn better and that improving the knowledge, competencies
and health status of children will improve
learning outcomes. 3 Also, schools that use the health
promoting school approach improve at a faster rate
than schools that do not use this approach. Effects
have been demonstrated in improving learning
environments, student concentration and performance,
staff health and well - being, and better student
12
achievements.
Many studies have been carried out to investigate
the effectiveness of the whole school approach.
Overall, it can be concluded that the school health
promotion programs that were effective in changing
young people ’ s health or health - related behavior were
likely to be complex, multi - factorial and involve activity
in more than one domain (curriculum, school
environment and community). Also, programs that
are intensive and implemented over a long period of
time are more effective than programs of short duration
and low intensity. Finally, school health promotion
can be effective, particularly in improving mental
health and in promoting healthy eating and physical
activity. 5
Recent evidence3 makes clear that a whole school
approach, which encourages and recognizes student
participation and which addresses the building and
maintenance of a caring school social environment,
may be the most effective way to achieve both health
and educational outcomes. Important influences that
build health protective factors and reduce risk - taking
behavior, are: the way a school is managed; how the
school encourages student participation in shaping
policies, practices and procedures; how teachers relate
to and treat students; and how the school engages with
its local community and parents in partnership work.
The supporting role of the school management
is recognized as an important factor to start the
process of introducing and implementing the health -
promoting school approach.
Selection of g ood p ractice
Below is a selection of effective or promising initiatives
to tackle obesity through the school setting based
on the health - promoting school approach.
Food and fitness i mplementation
p lan ( W ales)
The Food and Fitness Implementation Plan 13 in Wales
was developed following the work of a Task Group
and consultation with a wide audience including children
and young people. Healthy schools were seen as
a key component of work to improve nutrition and
levels of physical activity. As part of their work, schools
are required to consider these issues and to develop a
whole school food and fitness policy. The plan looks
specifically at the food and drink consumed throughout
the whole school day, which has led to the development
of a related strategy, called Appetite for
Life.14,15
The importance of developing high quality physical
education and practical cookery skills is also reinforced.
Some examples of work here include the provision
of a mobile cooking classroom — the Cooking
Bus. The Cooking Bus visits primary schools in the
most deprived areas of Wales and provides practical
cooking lessons to pupils, as well as running a teacher
training session and providing a session for parents of
young children. This is supported by a change in the
curriculum from September 2008, which makes it
compulsory for pupils aged 7 – 13 to learn about food.
They will have opportunities to practise, safely and
hygienically, a broad range of practical food preparation
and cooking tasks and to consider current healthy
eating messages and nutritional needs. With regard to
physical activity there is support via the Physical
Education and School Sport program to develop the
physical education curriculum, and this is comple-
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