Smart Choices: Creating a Healthy School Environment

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

For the first time in the past century, the children of the US are expected to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents. Childhood obesity rates have tripled in the past three decades, and today, nearly one in three children is overweight or obese. These children are at increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer in their lives. Improving eating and activity habits of children in the US can have tremendous health, academic, and economic benefits. To promote the health of the children in the county, the Dakota County Public Health Department staff partnered with all nine public school districts to create the Smart Choices initiative which focuses on policy, system, and environmental changes to support healthy choices. This initiative began as an effort to increase the access and availability of healthy food choices, especially fruit and vegetables, too improve the eating habits of students and staff and improve health and academic outcomes. Smart Choices now includes opportunities for physical activity before, during, and after school. Working with wellness committees as key stakeholders in each district, the county has seen substantial and measurable improvements to the school environment that support healthy choices. The support among parents and key stakeholders is growing.