Wellness Policy

Poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are more prevalent in children today than in the past two decades. The percentage of overweight children aged 6-11 years has more than doubled in the past twenty years. Among adolescents ages 12-19, the figure has more than tripled.

It is critical that children learn and adopt healthy behaviors while they are young, including establishing better eating habits. Tackling this issue at an early age helps young people develop good habits before they face health concerns.

In recognition of the declining nutritional intake and increasing obesity in children, Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. The Act requires by law, that no later than the first day of the school year 2006, each school district participating in the National School Lunch Program will adopt local school wellness policies that address healthy eating and physical activity.

The Act aims to improve children’s health by expanding the availability of nutritious meals and snacks to more children in schools while also promoting increased activity. The law places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each school district can be addressed.

School districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. School districts must also establish nutrition standards for all foods that are available on each school campus during the school day, with the objective of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity. School districts are required to measure the implementation of the wellness policy and to involve a broad group of individuals in its development.

NETCO systems will be working on their individual policies during 2005-06. Each system’s policy will be unique, however, the requirements of the policy will affect menus, food purchases, promotions, and other activities that involve the School Nutrition Programs and NETCO.

Vending Law

Poor diet and unhealthy portion sizes have been found to adversely influence the ability to learn and to decrease motivation and attentiveness. The state of Tennessee has one of the highest rates of pediatric obesity, one of the highest rates of childhood Type II diabetes, and one of the highest rates of heart disease in the United States.

In 2004, the Tennessee General Assembly passed Public Chapter 708, now

TC 49-6-2307. The bill requires the State Board of Education in consultation and cooperation with the Department of Education and the Department of Health to promulgate rules to establish minimum nutritional standards for individual food items sold or offered for sale to pupils during the school day.

Nutritional Quality Standards

These standards are developed for foods and beverages sold or offered for sale during the school day in schools that include students in grades

Pre-kindergarten through 8. These standards do not apply to foods served as a federally reimbursable meal to pupils. However, it is strongly recommended that schools meet these standards in federally reimbursable meals.

Summary of the Guidelines

All foods and beverages sold starting 45 minutes before school to 30 minutes after school. The law includes all foods sold in:

• Vending Machines
• School Stores
• On-campus fund raising items like candy or bake sales
• Snack bar items
• A la carte items in the cafeteria not included in that day’s lunch
  

Summary of Beverage Guidelines

• Must be low calorie not to exceed 15 calories per serving.
• Must be 8 oz or less for all beverages except water. Plain water is exempt.
• Only fluid, reduced fat, low fat, or non-fat milk.
• Only 100% fruit and vegetable juices.

Summary of Nutritional Guidelines for Foods

• Maximum calories from Fat—35% ( Nuts, seeds, and nut butters are excluded)
• Maximum calories from Saturated Fat—10%
• Maximum Sugar by weight—35% ( Fresh, dried, or frozen fruits are excluded)
• Maximum Sodium—230 mg per serving

Summary of Portion Guidelines

• 1.25 oz or less
  Chips, crackers, popcorn, cereal, trail mix, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or jerky
• 1 oz. or less
  Cookies
  Pure cheese with 3.5 grams of fat or less
• 2 oz. or less
  Cereal bars, granola bars, pastries, muffins, doughnuts, bagels
• 4 fluid oz or less
  Ice cream and frozen desserts
• 8 oz. or less
  Non-frozen yogurt
• Fruits and non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion size limits.
  
  

Implementation

• Schools serving pre-kindergarten through grade 5, shall implement these rules no later than one year after the effective date of the rules.
• Schools serving grades 6,7, or 8 shall implement at least 50% of the nutritional quality stanards set forth above no later than one year after the effective date of these rules and shall implement all of the nutritional quality standards within the following year. Schools that serve grades 6,7, and 8 and also serve higher grade levels must meet the standards.

As a group, NETCO will structure its food procurement and product descriptions to be in compliance with this law beginning in 2006. The individual NETCO systems will be responsible for the actual interpretation, implementation, and specific enforcement at each individual school nutrition and school site.