Lt. Governor Unveils School Wellness Guidelines

The Lt. Governor unveiled the new initiative during a news conference at the State Capitol with Department of Health Director Chiyome Fukino, M.D. and Department of Education Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto. The Wellness Guidelines act as the official policy for the Hawai`i State Public School System.

Lt. Governor Aiona said the wellness guidelines call for devoting much more energy to improving the quality of school lunches and weeding out junk foods.

“We are taking a comprehensive approach to providing children with healthy school environments through consistent practices from the classroom to the cafeteria to the playground,” Lt. Governor Aiona said. “The state recognizes that there is a strong link between health and academics, and that healthy children are more ready to learn and achieve their fullest potential.”

The development of the Wellness Guidelines is an extension of an eight-year partnership between the State Department of Health (DOH) and State Department of Education (DOE) that supports health education, physical education, physical activity and nutrtion services. More than 5,300 teachers, counselors, school food service staff and a variety of other school employees have already participated in training sessions.

The effort is part of a national movement prompted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Reauthorization Act. The federal mandate gives the state wide latitude to adopt policies that promote improved nutrition and physical activity – important tools in Hawai‘i’s efforts to overcome childhood obesity.

A recent study showed that more than a quarter of all incoming kindergarten students in Hawai‘i were overweight or obese, putting them at risk of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

“Our schools are in a logical position to model healthy behavior and produce noticeable changes in lunch menus,” Lt. Governor Aiona said. “We want to see more fruit, vegetables and whole grains on lunch trays. Our young people learn by example, and our schools are stepping forward to set a better example.”

To accommodate differences between schools, select components of the guidelines will be implemented each year over a four-year rollout plan. The State Department of Education requires all components of the guidelines to be in place by June 2011.

This month, the DOE and DOH are hosting workshops for school teams to help them implement the Wellness Guidelines. The State is also planning a summer workshop for businesses, which will provide fundraiser options for schools.