Fit Family Task Force Project - Rockford Public Schools

need to do research in this area. We need to acquire clear data that will
demonstrate whether early education concerning the role food and nutrients
play upon our bodies and minds will yield positive results in the health,
behavior, and academic performance of the child, and have impact on their
families.
Minority students are especially vulnerable as reflected in the chart below,
developed by the Center for Disease Control. 12
Children
(Ages 6 to 11)
Prevalence (%)
Adolescents
(Ages 12 to 19)
Prevalence (%)
Race Overweight Obesity Overweight Obesity
Black (Non-Hispanic) 35.9 19.5 40.4 23.6
Mexican American 39.3 23.7 43.8 23.4
White (Non-Hispanic) 26.2 11.8 26.5 12.7
One of the factors that play a major role in this epidemic is school food. Schools
serve children breakfast and lunch every day and should be models of health-
promoting meals. In order to accomplish this, there must be educational
coordination between the classroom, cafeteria, and home in which teachers, food
service employees, and parents support each others efforts. The United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the school meals program and
provides free meals to low-income children. There are 53 million children who
eat in school cafeterias every day during the school year, for up to twelve years –
12 Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Ogden et. al. JAMA. 2002;288:1728-1732.