HD16 - Executive Summary of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Childhood Obesity in Virginia's Public Schools HJR 637 (2007)


    Executive Summary:
    The Committee held four meetings during the 2007 interim. The Joint Subcommittee's mandate under HJR 637 (2007) expired on November 30, 2007. HJR 637 directed the subcommittee to ascertain methods of combating childhood obesity in the public schools. Delegate John M. O'Bannon was elected chairman of the joint subcommittee, and Senator Linda T. Puller was elected vice-chair.

    Further, the Joint Subcommittee was charged with examining: (i) the relationship between the health and physical education curriculum; (ii) public health policies; (iii) social, economic, and cultural influences; (iv) media messages; (v) the incidence of overweight and obese students in the public schools; (vi) methods to increase parental involvement and education to ensure proper nutrition of children; and (vii) other states' programs to determine practices that have been useful in combating childhood obesity.

    Meetings

    During the four meetings held during the interim, the joint subcommittee heard about the Virginia Department of Education's obesity-related initiatives. The Department also provided details of the implementation of the federally mandated local wellness policies in the local school divisions. The Virginia Department of Health provided an update on the Health Department's efforts in preventing obesity. The Department explained that the final CHAMPION Report is due by the summer of 2008; this report will be a five year plan detailing which programs should be implemented throughout the state. At that time, the Health Department hopes to provide funding opportunities to implement these programs at the local level. In addition the Joint Subcommittee was given some examples of programs currently being funded by grants to various local health districts.

    Dr. Howell Wechsler, Director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health, for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), attended the second meeting and revealed how schools can prevent obesity and how states can assist them in doing so, but emphasized that there is no magic bullet solution to the issue of childhood obesity. He presented a strategy that included different options, making clear that any solution must be comprehensive in scope. First, he noted that any effective effort should be coordinated both across state agencies and also with nongovernmental agencies. Second, he recommended that states should use state and local data from the out-set to guide decision making and policy formation.

    In addition, various school division representatives addressed the Joint Subcommittee during the meetings, including:

    1. Penny McConnell, Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Fairfax County Public Schools. Ms. McConnell discussed the FCPS local wellness policy that strives to focus on the whole child, the needs of the school community, and the school day. The policy incorporates the Governor's nutrition standards and the Institute of Medicine report from the Committee on Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools.

    2. LaVern Davis, Supervisor of Health Services, and Barry Trent, Coordinator of Health Education, Physical Education, and Driver Education, for Roanoke County Public Schools. Ms. Davis and Mr. Trent presented details about the Roanoke County Public School's Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening Program.

    3. Bonnie Conner Gray, Educational Specialist, Health Education, Physical Education, and Driver Education K-12 for Henrico County Public Schools. Ms. Conner-Gray informed the joint subcommittee about Henrico County's use of the POLAR E-600 data downloadable (wireless) heart rate monitors for documenting students' personal activity levels.

    4. Andrea Early, School Nutrition Program Director for Harrisonburg City Public Schools. Ms. Early gave a brief explanation of the financial aspects of a school nutrition program. Ms. Early described some of the healthier food choices her school division has made and giving the costs to implement these choices. She talked about the federal and state reimbursement process, and explained why divisions with more students eligible for free and reduced-cost meals are often better able to withstand the financial setbacks that can occur when menu changes are made.

    Also, staff provided the Joint Subcommittee with a presentation detailing initiatives in other states designed to combat childhood obesity. The presentation was divided into four main areas: wellness policy implementation, data collection and reporting, physical education, and nutrition.

    Final Recommendations

    The Joint Subcommittee adopted the following recommendations for legislation to be introduced during the 2008 Regular Session of the General Assembly:

    • A local school division "best practices" database - requires the Board of Education to develop a database of local school divisions' best practices regarding nutrition and physical education, including results of wellness-related fitness assessments

    • A minimum time requirement for physical activity for all grades - requires local school boards to implement a minimum of 150 minutes of physical education per week for all students in grades kindergarten through 12 by the 2013-2014 school year

    • A budget amendment to increase the state reimbursement for school lunches - A resolution urging local school divisions in the Commonwealth to implement the nutrition and physical activity standards of the Governor's Nutrition and Physical Activity Award Program

    • A resolution continuing the work of the HJR 637 Joint Subcommittee

    The Joint Subcommittee intends to submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor for publication as a House Document, unless its work is continued during the 2008 Regular Session.