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What's New In Health

Federal Bill Targets Junk Food in School

On March 5, 2009, Representative Lynne Woolsey introduced a bill to Congress that would eliminate junk food from school menus. The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act is an amendment to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. The new amendment would compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update the nutrition standards for foods sold in schools.

While most schools have made some progress, and serve a reasonably balanced lunch, there are still many unhealthful options available to students. Students often supplement their lunch with unhealthy choices such as soda, candy bars, cookies, chips, pizza, and ice cream. Junk food available for sale ala carte or in school vending machines is helping to fuel an epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes, while diminishing the federal investment made in the healthy school lunch program.

The USDA's current definition requires that food sold in schools has five percent or more of the recommended daily values of protein, Vitamin C, calcium, and other nutrients. However, that definition includes no maximum amounts for calories, saturated fat, or sodium. The new bill would reorient food policies towards preventing childhood obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases affecting today's youth. The bill is backed by a large coalition of medical, health, and children's advocacy groups, including the American Dental Association, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, Partnership for Prevention, Save the Children, and School Nutrition Association. To urge your representative to support the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, visit the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

School-Based STD Screening Program More Effective for Education, Testing

Actively engaging teens in discussions about their sexual health can be a challenging endeavor. The School-Based Screening Program (SBSP) is a new program designed to inform teens about the risks of STDs. The SBSP was initially tested in a Washington DC charter school. Students in grades 9 through 12 listened to 20-minute lectures focused on STDs. Immediately following the lecture, the students were invited to participate in an STD test for Chlamydia and gonorrhea. The tests did not require parental consent and were completely voluntary and confidential. Treatment was offered to teens who tested positive. Of the 987 students who attended the lectures, 673 decided to get tested. Of those students, 59 tested positive for at least one STD. 57 of those students received appropriate treatment.

In order to reach a larger population of young people, the study was repeated in sites where young people were employed. The hour long lecture included information on STDs, HIV, and pregnancy prevention, and was followed by an opportunity for testing. Of 613 people attending those lectures, 370 chose to get tested. The study is notable in that it provided an effective model for detecting STDs in a challenging population.

Study: Physically Fit Texas Students More Likely to Do Well on Achievement Tests

A new study released by the Texas Education Agency revels that students who are physically fit are more likely to do well on achievement tests and less likely to have discipline problems. In 2007, the Texas legislature passed a measure requiring an annual physical fitness assessment of public school students. The study was based on the annual fitness assessments of more than 2.4 million students. It found that increased exercise helps the brain function more efficiently and enhances learning. Physically fit students also have better attendance, increasing the amount of time they spend learning. The author of the 2007 measure, Jane Nelson, stated that despite the success in Texas, there is still more work to do to combat obesity and get children in shape.

Being Overweight Just as Risky to Health as Being a Smoker

According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, obese adolescents have the same risk of premature death in adulthood as do people who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day. During the study, researchers analyzed the weight and smoking status of over 45,000 men who underwent mandatory military conscription tests in Sweden. During the follow-up period, researchers analyzed the health and mortality of all patients. The death rate was lowest for people with normal weight and highest for those who were obese. Being overweight at age 18 increased the risk of premature death by a third, while being obese more than doubled the risk. Early death was also linked to the number of cigarettes a participant smoked a day, with heavy smokers more than doubling their risk of premature death. Subjects who were obese and heavy smokers had nearly five times the risk of a premature death. Researchers have concluded that obesity and teen smoking remain important targets for intensified public health initiatives.