SCHOOL-BASED POLICIES HELP STUDENTS MEET DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS — Mandatory daily physical education could help increase students’ daily amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity by 23 minutes, which is a third of the recommended amount. These are the findings of a new study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living Research, published in [...]

CHILDREN BROADLY MISDIAGNOSED WITH ADHD, STUDY FINDS — School-aged children are being under and over diagnosed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to one of the largest studies conducted on ADHD. The study in the Journal of Attention Disorders revealed only about one-third of children taking medication for ADHD met the diagnosis criteria. Meanwhile, [...]

BREAKFAST CONSUMPTION IMPACTS STUDENT PERFORMANCE — A study in the journal Appetite found that students who skipped breakfast performed worse on Internet-based tests of attention, memory, and reaction time than their peers who had eaten breakfast, with girls bring the most disrupted in their ability to focus without having eaten breakfast. Researchers in the UK [...]

STUDY FINDS SCHOOL MEALS HEALTHIER THAN HOMEMADE SACK LUNCHES — A study in August’s Childhood Obesity shows packed lunches are significantly less nutritious than purchased school meals. Researchers examined the contents of the lunches that 2nd graders from seven schools in a large suburban Texas district brought from home on three separate days and compared [...]

NORTH CAROLINA MAKES CPR TRAINING A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT — A new law in North Carolina makes passing a CPR training course a graduation requirement for high school students, starting with the graduating class of 2015 (this year’s sophomores). CPR training has been required for high school graduation in North Carolina since 1997, but it has [...]

PENNSYLVANIA LAW THE FIRST TO REQUIRE TRAINING ON SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST IN STUDENTS — A new Pennsylvania law is the first in the country that designates training and standards to prevent sudden heart attacks in students  and student athletes. The measure requires coaches, game officials, and athletic trainers to watch for signs of sudden cardiac [...]

UTAH GOVERNOR VETOES CONTROVERSIAL SEX-ED BILL — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert vetoed a bill that would have required schools to teach an abstinence-only sex education curriculum and banned instruction about sexual intercourse and contraception. Had the governor signed the law, Utah would have become the first state to explicitly ban instruction about contraception. Standing law allows parents to choose where [...]

MARYLAND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING STUDENTS AGAINST FOOD ALLERGENS IN SCHOOL LUNCHES — The Maryland State Court of Appeals ruled the state government, the education department, and the state superintendent are not responsible for ensuring school lunches are suitable for children with food allergies. The ruling came from a case in which a five-year-old Maryland student, who [...]

CHILDREN’S ENERGY INTAKE LINKED TO EATING LOCATION AND FOOD SOURCE — A report released by the American Dietetic Association suggests the eating location and the source of food influenced the daily energy intake for children. This study examined data from 29,217 children aged 2 to 18 years from 1977-2006 in three national surveys. Findings from the study linked an increase [...]

USDA STUDY LINKS FOOD PRICES TO CHILDHOOD OBESITY — Food prices have a direct impact on weight gain in children, according to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA economists found that higher prices for junk food and sugary drinks and lower prices for healthy foods, such as low-fat milk and dark [...]

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS DISCOURAGES SPORTS AND ENERGY DRINK USE FOR STUDENTS — As sports drinks take the place of sodas in school vending machines, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautions that most teens who eat a balanced diet and drink enough water do not need sports and energy drinks. The recommendations in [...]