Louisiana Action for Healthy Kids - Team Nutrition
Louisiana Action for Healthy Kids - Team Nutrition
Welcome!
Welcome to the Louisiana Team Nutrition: Action for Healthy Kids Page. Team Nutrition is a partner in Action for Healthy Kids at the federal and state levels. Both initiatives promote healthful eating and physical activity habits among youth. You probably are very aware that there is a problem with children and teens being overweight and obese in the United States, including Louisiana. This webpage is designed to share information that goes beyond awareness. It serves as a clearinghouse of ideas for teachers, school personnel, parents, and students to promote a healthful environment. At this site, you will discover ways to take action for health every day – 24/7 – at home, at school, when eating out, or participating in special activities. Visit this website every few months. Guest columnists will share their new ideas in the featured article below.
The sections regarding healthy eating practices, healthy physical activity practices, issues related to weight, and resources should be of use to all readers. Additionally, we plan to highlight best practices through our School Health Award. The resource section will be useful to all ages.
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Wellness Policy
Schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity. To formalize and encourage this role, Congress passed a law requiring each local educational agency participating in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006.
The legislation places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level, so that the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts are required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation.
The Louisiana Department of Education approved a wellness policy template that can be used by local educational agencies to develop their own wellness policies. The United States Department of Agriculture also has a website that serves as a clearinghouse of ideas related to developing and implementing a wellness policy.
USDA Local Wellness Page
These web pages serve as a clearinghouse of information on the Local Wellness Policy. Sample policies and reference materials are provided to help school districts as they develop their own wellness policies.
Wellness Policy Template
PDF
The Louisiana Department of Education has approved this wellness policy to serve as a template for local educational agencies when developing and implementing their own wellness policies.
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