Improving Competitive Foods Schools For Creating A Healthy...

Improving Competitive Foods Schools For Creating A Healthy...

Improving Competitive Foods in Schools to create a healthy school environment

To: School Districts and School Administrators

Seeing Spots: Addressing Competitive Foods

Competitive foods are foods that are available in schools to purchase through venues such as a la carte lines, vending machines, snack bars, school stores and other fundraises.1 It has been estimated that nearly 30–50% of all school students consume their total calories at school.2 School lunch and breakfast programs meet the requirements for the federal nutrition standards and U.S. department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for American. However, foods that are available through competitive venues do not meet these requirements.3 National data shows that foods and snacks that are sold outside the school meal programs are high in fats, calories, sugar, salts and provide low nutritional value. In addition, many sugar sweetened beverages, sports drinks, high fat milks and high calorie fruit drink are sold at schools.4 Available foods and beverages at schools have an influence on children's weight, and in fact health problems can arise if the available foods and beverages are not healthy choices.

Scope of the Problem

In the Unites States, more than 23 million children and adults are obese and overweight.5 Several studies have linked the rise in weight and obesity with consumption of excess calories from competitive foods.6 A Study conducted by Rampersaud et al.( 2005) suggested that competitive foods are

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