Healthy Habits: Action for Healthy Kids

Action for Healthy Kids® just released a special report, The Learning Connection: What You Need to Know to Ensure Your Kids Are Healthy and Ready to Learn, made possible by a grant from Northwestern Mutual Foundation. It’s an easy-to-read roadmap for parents, educators, school administrators and school volunteers to create healthier school environments so the kids in their lives are better positioned to learn.  The report demonstrates that physical activity supports academic achievement, well-nourished kids learn better and that healthier practices in schools can increase school revenue. And, it shows that schools that offer students healthier food and more time to be active are seeing increasing fitness levels, better student behavior and even higher test scores. Simply put, kids who don’t eat nutritiously and enjoy regular physical activity are at an academic disadvantage.
•    Moderate (physical) activity increases kids’ neuroelectric (or brain) activity.
•    On average, students who eat school breakfast have been shown to attend 1.5 more days of school per year and score 17.5 percent higher on standardized math tests.
•    One study of schools selling healthier foods and beverages found that 71 percent experienced revenue increases while 24 percent had no change at all.
The report also describes model school programs and has information about free resources and opportunities for school funding.

Action for Healthy Kids® fights childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places so kids can live healthier lives. More information is available at on Facebook, @Act4HlthyKids, and on Pinterest.
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to build strong, vibrant communities that serve as a legacy to future generations.