Monday, June 28, 2010

Education Research Report: Healthier Cafeteria Food, More Intense Gym Classes Lower Students' Obesity

Education Research Report: Healthier Cafeteria Food, More Intense Gym Classes Lower Students' Obesity

Healthier Cafeteria Food, More Intense Gym Classes Lower Students' Obesity

Ω

Healthier cafeteria choices, longer and more intense periods of physical activity and robust in-school education programs can lower rates of obesity and other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, according to a national study called HEALTHY.

UC Irvine was among eight academic medical centers nationwide chosen to participate in the three-year effort, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive & Kidney Diseases, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, and the American Diabetes Association.

"This is the first-ever study to show you can reduce obesity and other risks for type 2 diabetes in kids and do it in schools with at-risk, high-ethnic-minority populations," said pediatrics professor Dr. Dan M. Cooper, UCI's principal investigator for HEALTHY. "It emphasizes that schools can have a tremendous positive impact on a