Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus and U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Regional Administrator Patricia Dombroski in celebration of a National School Breakfast Week shared a breakfast of cereal, low fat milk, juice and yogurt Monday morning with fourth graders from Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School.

Dombroski, who ate bananas and yogurt with the children, said research shows eating breakfast helps children to be ready to learn.

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Tulsa Public Schools has piloted a new program. They are adding fruits and vegetable bars in their schools in an effort to curb childhood obesity and to add nutrition to their diets.

Lee Elementary is one of the first schools to try it out.

So far the students are enjoying the extra options to keep them …

From Capitol News, Channel 9, NY by Kaitlyn Ross

Math...A+. Science...B-. Body Mass Index?

Registered Dietitian Judy Carr, said, "There's been a lot of discussion and a lot of debate as to whether this should be included in a child's report card."

The ratio of your child's height to weight could soon make on the report card right next to reading, writing and arithmetic.

Both Arkansas and Illinois have passed legislation, and it…

Champions for Healthy Kids, a grant program introduced five years ago to encourage kids to eat healthy and stay active, is now accepting grant applications for 2008. The program is open to schools and community groups with innovative programs aimed at improving youth nutrition and fitness. The entry deadline is Jan. 15, 2008. Download application. The program is a partnership of the General Mills (NYSE: GIS) Foundation, the American Dietetic As…

The California School Boards Association and several districts have sued the state for nearly $1 billion, saying the state's deferral of payments for 38 mandatory programs violates the state of California's constitution. The lawsuit claims that districts are forced to divert limited educational funding to support state-mandated programs such as student health screenings and attendance-figure reporting.

Physical education and health educa…

LONDON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A new heathcare bill in England authorizes the distribution of letters detailing children's height and weight as part of the fight against childhood obesity.

Parents of children ages 5-10 will receive letters outlining their child's height and weight to be input into an online "fat check" in an effort to determine the onset of obesity, The Telegraph said Saturday.

The new program is part of the Health and…

Jefferson Elementary School has seen a 42 percent decrease in student misbehaviors since they started using the Peaceful Playground Program last year.

The program is designed to reduce conflicts during recess time.

"We're very happy with the reduction in misbehaviors," principal Barb Linke said. "It's also carried over into the classroom. That's what we wanted."



Students often say, "you can't say I can't…

The benefits of regular physical activity for our health and well-being are well documented. Over the past 50 years, however, our increased dependence on the automobile, coupled with the invention of many labor-saving devices, has caused physical activity to be engineered out of our lives. It is now possible to go through an entire day without walking more than a few minutes at a time. Suburban sprawl encourages more driving, more polluting and …

A London doctor whose family practice has been full for a decade is taking on new patients.

But he expects any he accepts now to be motivated to be healthy -- and to stay that way.
As a doctor who has worked closely with athletes -- including the University of Western Ontario's men's soccer team, the national rowing team and "weekend warriors" -- Shin encourages physical activity in his family practice, too. He sometimes gives…

Texas public school students will have to endure one more test in this year's assessment battery.

But for this one, there will be no cramming -- unless they want to start practicing sit-ups and wind sprints.

The Texas Legislature mandated this year that students in grades three through 12 be tested annually on aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

A task force from the Texas Education Agency is still …

Upon reading about the Great Wall Marathon I ask myself, "Is that really possible?" If you've been to the great wall (see insert I visited it in 2000) running on the great wall seems impossible basically because the steps are uneven, straight up and solid rock. However, it seems that last week a great many contestants did just that.

The Great Wall Marathon®
Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 km & 5 km on the Great Wall of China
17th Ma…