U.S. Schools Getting Better at Boosting Kids' Health

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Among the report's findings:

• The number of states prohibiting junk foods in vending machines in schools rose from 8 percent in 2000 to 32 percent in 2006; the percentage of school districts with such prohibitions rose from 4 percent to 30 percent during the same time frame.
• 46 percent of schools sold water in vending machines or school stores in 2006, up from 30 percent in 2000.
• 12 percent of states required elementary schools to provide regularly scheduled recesses in 2006, up from 4 percent in 2000; the percentage of school districts with this requirement rose from 46 percent to 57 percent.
• Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of schools prohibited tobacco use in all school locations, including off-campus, and school-sponsored events in 2006, compared to 46 percent in 2000.
• 25 percent of schools had vending machines with cookies, cakes and other high-fat baked goods in 2006, versus 38 percent in 2000.
• Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of schools offered salads a la carte in 2006, compared with 53 percent in 2000.
• 19 percent of schools offered French fries a la carte in 2006, down from 40 percent in 2000.

That's the good news. The 2006 review also turned up some less-heartening news:

• Only 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools provided daily physical education for the entire year for students in all grades.
• 22 percent of schools did not require students to take any physical education.
• 36 percent of schools did not prohibit tobacco use in all locations all the time.
• 77 percent of high schools still sold drinks that weren't 100 percent juice, and 61 percent sold high-fat salty snacks in vending machines or school stores.

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"If we want to build on the improvements that schools have made over the past six years, we need to involve many people and programs," said Howell Wechsler, director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health. "Families, schools, school boards, and school administrators all need to work together to develop and implement policies and programs that promote health and safety among our nation's young people."

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