Promoting Youth Physical Activity and Healthy Weight Through Schools (Scientific Article) (Report‪)‬

Introduction Our environment is characterized as "obesigenic:" Conditions abound fostering an imbalance between human energy intake and expenditure that results in a chronic state of energy storage and consequent excess adiposity (1). The epidemic of overweight in children is especially of concern, given the proposed and established relationships to academic performance, mental and physical health, and adult obesity (2, 3). Schools can play a prominent role in addressing this epidemic, and physicians can be instrumental in helping schools maximize their efforts (4, 5). Pediatricians and family physicians are being encouraged to serve as role models and take leadership roles in advocating for overweight prevention in local schools and communities (6). The timing for renewed action in West Virginia is propitious, given four recent initiatives related to school policy and practice. First, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-265) specifies that all schools receiving federal foodservice funds must have a school wellness policy in place by the 2006-2007 school year (7). Additionally, the 2005 Healthy West Virginia Act strengthens requirements for school physical education and health education, encourages the use of healthy beverages in schools, and uses body mass index as an indicator of progress toward promoting healthy lifestyles (8). Thirdly, the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was recently created by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users Act (SAFETEALU) (9). The SRTS Program, funded at $612 million over five Federal fiscal years (FY 2005-2009), is to be administered by State Departments of Transportation. West Virginia will receive 1 million dollars each year. And finally, the Clinton Foundation in collaboration with the American Heart Association and soft drink industries, recently proposed guidelines to cap portion size, limit kcal content, and remove soft drinks except for diet soda at the high school level (10). Although these guidelines are voluntary, schools in West Virginia need to be encouraged to adopt them.