Health Tip: Help Your School Develop a Wellness Policy

A wellness policy is a written document that helps guide a school’s approach to nutrition and physical activity.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests:

Including nutrition guidelines for all foods and beverages sold on campus during the school day.
Including policies for foods made available for classroom parties.
Including policies to prevent companies that do not meet school nutrition standards from marketing their products to students.
Permittingparents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, school administrators, and the general public to participate in the development, implementation and update of a school wellness policy.
Identifying school officials with the authority to monitor compliance.
Publicizing the wellness policy, so the public is aware of it.
Reviewing the policy at least every three years for needed changes.

Source: HealthDay