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2007 SESSION

072326526
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 727
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 10, 2007
Encouraging local school divisions to continue efforts to address childhood obesity.
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Patrons-- Tyler, Bulova, Crockett-Stark, Dance, Ebbin, Hull, Lewis, Marsden, McEachin, Nutter, Shannon, Sickles, Toscano, Waddell and Watts
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) indicates that more than 1 in 5 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

WHEREAS, educators can effectively 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 develop local wellness policies by July 1, 2006; and

WHEREAS, school divisions reported that local wellness policies included the following goals: (i) for students to receive consistent nutrition messages throughout schools, classrooms, cafeterias, homes, community, and media; (ii) for nutrition to be integrated into the health education and core curricula; (iii) for schools to encourage parents to support their children's participation in physical activity; and (iv) for schools to provide training to enable teachers and other school staff to promote enjoyable, lifelong physical activity among students; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the local school divisions be encouraged to continue efforts to address childhood obesity. Efforts may include: (i) participation in the Governor's Nutrition and Physical Activity Scorecard; (ii) integration of health and physical education concepts with mathematics, science, history and social science, and English; (iii) provision of nutrition education opportunities and resources to students beyond minimum required classroom instruction; or (iv) creation of public awareness and education campaigns that emphasize the importance and benefits of good nutrition and regular physical activity; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, requesting that the Superintendent further disseminate copies of this resolution to his respective constituents so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.