By Jennifer S. McDonald
C & G Staff Writer

School districts are trying to teach students that they really are what they eat.

But unfortunately, typical school lunches of pizza, processed chicken nuggets and tacos have the potential for disastrous effects.

According to the most recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 19 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are considered overweight, while 17 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 are overweight.

That’s not something to ignore, Suzanne Cowles, principal of Keith Elementary in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, previously said at an event celebrating the school’s new asphalt fitness track. They took those numbers and more into consideration while redeveloping school policies regarding healthy activities and eating by forming a healthy school action team, she said.

“When you look at the research on childhood obesity — and right now, two out of five children are overweight; in addition, 64 percent of our population is — and when you concentrate so much on food — cupcakes at birthdays, pizza parties as rewards — we’re contributing to it. We’re not part of the solution,” explained Cowles. “We put an action plan into place of what we can do to make things better for children without being detrimental in any way to their education.”

Currently, only fruits and vegetables are used for snacks and no edible birthday treats are allowed. Parties focus on a craft or game, and healthy food is available at all staff and administrative meetings. They also host “Fresh Fruit Fridays.”

For their efforts, Keith Elementary received first place in the 2007 School of Outstanding Achievement from the Michigan Surgeon General’s Healthy School Environment Recognition Program. The school was recognized last May at the Michigan Action for Healthy Kids Coalition Meeting, receiving their award from State Surgeon General Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom.

“We are very proud of everything we’ve done to promote a healthy school environment,” Cowles said.  “Even our fundraisers are now geared toward promoting a healthy environment.”

This sort of plan also has been put into action in Harrison Township by Tanya Nofs, nutritionist for the L’Anse Creuse School District and liaison to the Sodexho food company. Nofs completely embraced the mission of educating students about healthy eating and exercise, taking it one step further.

She’s not only helped change the face of the district’s food program that offers healthy food and a fruit and salad bar, but has taken her message on the road, in the form of the “A to Z Salad Bar” assembly.

Featuring a fun and upbeat mantra, the assembly uses the mascot of Sodexho, Lift-Off the Wellness Star, to get students excited about trying new fruits and vegetables that range from radishes and carrots, to unusual items like jicama, a Mexican potato, and star and ugli fruits.

“I see so many kids in our schools that are not making healthy food choices,” Nofs said. “Fruit and vegetables are staples in our diet. … I wanted to be out there in the public eye influencing these kids.”    

So far, Nofs has visited two elementary schools in the L’Anse Creuse School District and plans to visit them all before she is through, she said. It’s all part of her mission, “to increase students’ awareness about fruits and vegetables,” she added.

“It’s just so important kids are aware of what they put in their mouths,” Nofs said. “I want to be the one to teach them something new and things they’ve never heard of before.”

Although students at Birmingham Covington School in Birmingham were a little dismayed when candy was no longer offered, their disappointment was replaced with excitement once a new salad bar was offered every Wednesday, Katherine Erlich said.

Erlich, a pediatrician and a member of a group of mothers who joined forces last year, only wanted to provide  a healthier environment for their children’s school, she said.

The group, which formed the BCS Wellness Committee, convinced the school’s food service provider, Sodexho, to discontinue selling items like doughnuts and candy, and to replace them with healthier options. They’ve also instituted “Wellness Wednesdays,” which feature health tips and facts, as well as exercise during morning announcements.

“Most of us found that our children were coming home with a lot of candy at times, and we didn’t want to send our children to school without a lunch because we felt the school lunches weren’t healthy,” Erlich said. “We know we can’t take everything away all at once, nor do we want to. (But) it’s a lifestyle change and a lifestyle problem we have to address.”

The committee has also tried to make the issue of healthier living fun for the students by holding a school-wide contest asking students to come up with a slogan for the committee. The motto “Eat Wise and Exercise,” which was submitted by fourth-grader Maggie Madigan, won honors. The slogan has been printed on green rubber bracelets and donated to teachers and students by BCS parent John Crick.

But they’re not done yet, Erlich said. The committee hopes to continue offering projects in the future, with plans currently in the works for a walking group at lunch, educational classes and participation in Project ACES, or All Children Exercise Simultaneously.

“I feel personally, as a mom and as a doctor, it’s nice to be able to do something outside of my career that can make a difference for my children as well as for other kids,” Erlich said. “The most exciting part of this is when I get contacted by another mother from another school, and they say they want to do this. … I feel very strongly that this is going to take a whole lot of work and bunch of us to make a difference. But it can be done.”

C & G Staff Writer David Wallace contributed to this report.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer S. McDonald at jmcdonald@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1112.