School-Based Obesity Prevention Program

The proposed research aims to evaluate the effects of a school-based nutrition policy initiative on prevalence, incidence and remission of overweight (BMI > 95th percentile). It is a partnership between the Food Trust, the School District of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Participants are approximately 1500 students from ten schools in grades four through eight. Half of the schools were randomized to a comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Initiative (SNPI) based on CDC's Guidelines to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating. The SNPI is a community-based intervention administered by the Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy Task Force that is comprised of 40 individuals representing the public and private sectors. The goal of the SNPI is to change the school environment to: support healthy eating, increase physical activity, and decrease the prevalence of childhood overweight and diet-related diseases. The remaining study participants are in five control schools, matched for ethnicity, SES, and type of food service. Most students are African American and qualify for free and reduced meals at school (household income < 185% of the poverty level adjusted for household size). Assessments of weight, height, intake, activity, inactivity and eating disorder symptomatology are being conducted at baseline and 1 and 2 years.