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2007 SESSION
WHEREAS, studies have shown a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents; and
WHEREAS, data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) indicate that more than one in five children and adolescents in the United States are overweight; and
WHEREAS, in Virginia, one out of every three people diagnosed as obese is a child and more than a third of young people in grades nine through 12 do not regularly engage in any vigorous physical activity; and
WHEREAS, healthy behaviors learned and adopted by students can carry over to the home and follow children into adulthood; and
WHEREAS, educators can teach and model healthy behaviors in the areas of nutrition and physical activity; and
WHEREAS, nutrition and physical activity are integral to achieving the high academic standards set for Virginia students; and
WHEREAS, recent revisions to the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia require each elementary and middle school student to participate in a program of physical fitness during the regular school year; and
WHEREAS, all 132 school divisions in Virginia participate in the National School Lunch Program and were required to have developed local wellness policies by July 1, 2006; and
WHEREAS, school divisions were encouraged to use the existing School Health Advisory Boards (SHAB), in conjunction with nutrition advisory councils (NAC) and other advisory groups, to address the local wellness policy requirement; and
WHEREAS, school divisions reported that division local wellness policies should include goals by which students receive consistent nutrition messages throughout schools, classrooms, cafeterias, homes, community, and media; nutrition is integrated into the health education and core curricula; schools encourage parents to support their children’s participation in physical activity, to be physically active role models, and to include physical activity in family events; and schools provide training to enable teachers and other school staff to promote enjoyable, lifelong physical activity among students; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly supports that the school divisions across the Commonwealth be urged to use the Scorecard for the Governor’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Award as a tool for identifying best practices and measuring progress towards meeting the nutrition and physical activity needs of students; fully maximize student participation in the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program; continue to integrate health and physical education concepts and other curriculum areas such as mathematics, science, history/social science, and English; continue collaborative efforts between the cafeteria and the classroom to reinforce nutrition education; provide nutrition education opportunities and resources to students beyond minimum required classroom instruction; encourage schools to create public awareness and education campaigns that emphasize the importance and benefits of good nutrition and regular physical activity; and partner with parents, community organizations, and School Health Advisory Boards (SHABS) to strengthen the mission of improving the nutritional status of children and to promote physical activity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate the third week of September, in 2007 and in each succeeding year, as Healthy Virginians/Healthy Students Week in Virginia; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this week on the General Assembly's website.