This article profiles Jill Jayne, who was working as a registered nutritionist in the New York City public school system when she was assigned to a group of 25 urban students in an after-school program in East Harlem. In the spring of 2006, Jayne took her "Jump With Jill" show to the streets outside Central Park, collected tips in a tin…

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), School Nutrition Association (SNA), and Society for Nutrition Education (SNE) that comprehensive, integrated nutrition services in schools, kindergarten through grade 12, are an essential component of coordinated school health programs and will improve the nutritional status, health,…

A randomized cluster trial was conducted to assess the impact of individualized health intervention guided by the transtheoretical model (TTM) theory on behavior change and quality of life (QoL) among the older rural population of China. A total of 2441 persons aged 60 years and over participated in the study. After a nine-month intervention,…

Background: As the obesity epidemic expands to include younger Americans, there is greater need to understand youth experiences and to identify innovative strategies to promote physical activity in children and adolescents. Connecting children and families with nature-based activities is an example of a strategy that may promote physical activity…

Introduction: Children today are under much more stress than a few decades ago due to academic pressure, family financial hardship, competition with peers, and stressed parents. Consequently, stress-related health issues and behavioral problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, violent or withdrawal…

During the last 3 decades, the prevalence of obesity has tripled among persons aged 6-19 years. Multiple chronic disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and high blood glucose levels are related to obesity. Schools have a responsibility to help prevent obesity and promote physical activity and healthy eating…

Given the current trends of physical inactivity, overweight and obesity rates, and chronic disease prevalence, understanding appropriate levels of physical activity, healthful nutrition, and risk reduction for chronic-disease is crucial. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of the effectiveness of an online personal health and…

The inability of the United States to narrow the achievement gap stems to a large extent from school reform initiatives that neglect the specific conditions in the lives of low-income students that contribute heavily to inadequate school performance. A new consensus is emerging that a more effective approach would be to prevent the achievement gap…

Will the Sacramento Capital Region prosper, thrive and ultimately grow into its full potential in coming years? To answer this question, the authors have to look carefully at the well-being of young people who now inhabit the Capital Region's nine counties. As go today's young people--tomorrow's workers, parents, neighbors and leaders--so goes the…

In critical and feminist educational circles there has been a lively debate between those who call for more emphasis on contextualisation and concrete practices and those who defend a more generalised view of critical pedagogy. The unceasing march of corporate globalisation and neoliberalism make it absolutely urgent that educators and organisers…

The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents from low-income families in the USA has become a significant concern over the last 20 years. One of the major contributors to this problem is the lack of physical activity. The purpose of this paper is to describe initiatives designed to: (1) engage young children in physical activity during…

This article is the third of a 4-part series on "Health Promotion and Wellness" from the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD). It focuses on health disparities and people with disabilities. Health disparities are differences in health outcomes between groups that reflect social inequalities. Disability rates vary by ethnicity, age,…

Just Be It! Healthy and Fit reduces the risk factors for childhood obesity for fifth graders using hands-on field trips, in-class lessons, and parent outreach efforts. Pre-test and post-test scores from the year-long classroom instruction showed a statistically significant increase in fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and nutrition…

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active![R] is an after-school curriculum that seeks to empower young people aged 11 to 13 years to make healthful choices about nutrition and physical activity by helping them understand how media can influence their lives. This is a unique intervention for young people in that it addresses four key areas of…

The Team Nutrition (TN) e-Newsletter is published periodically to share TN resources developed by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and/or by State agencies, and to share ideas for promoting healthy eating and physical activity through Team Nutrition at the State and local levels. This February 2009 issue includes: (1) State Developed…