Health Bits
Schools Make Gains, but Work Remains
U.S. schools have made strides in promoting students’ health. But there’s lots
of room for improvement, says a report on school health policies and programs
issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Director
Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., says schools “have made significant progress in
removing junk food, offering more physical activity opportunities and establishing
policies that prohibit tobacco use.” Among report findings:
- The share of school districts that ban junk foods in their vending machines
rose from 4 percent in 2000 to 30 percent in 2006.
- Tobacco was barred at all school sites, including off-campus events sponsored
by schools, at 64 percent of schools in 2006, compared with 46 percent in 2000.
- Just 14 percent of elementary schools, 15 percent of middle schools and 3 percent
of high schools had physical education at least three days a week year-round
for students in all grades.
CDC officials urged families and schools to work together on more
improvements.
One in Three Kids Takes Supplements
Do you give your child a daily vitamin? You’ve got company. More than
30 percent of American children take some kind of dietary supplement. Most
of them use multivitamins and multiminerals. A National Institutes of Health
study looked at data on more than 10,000 youngsters. The study found that
32 percent of children 18 and younger had used dietary supplements in the
last 30 days. This included:
- 12 percent of those younger than 1 year
- 38 percent of those ages 1 to 3
- 41 percent of those ages 4 to 8
- 29 percent of those ages 9 to 13
- 26 percent of those ages 14 to 18
Before you start any vitamin or supplement for your child, check with your
child’s health care provider.
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