SCHOOLS TAKE CHARGE IN FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY PROGRAMS PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR STUDENTS.

Byline: DENISSE SALAZAR Valley News

As the childhood obesity epidemic spreads, the Los Angeles Unified School District is finding new ways to get students in shape.

The school district was among the first to ban soda and junk food on its campuses, but statistics show the obesity problem continues to grow.

According to the National Institute of Medicine, obesity rates have doubled for students age 2 to 5 and 12 to 19, and tripled over the past 30 years among children age 6 to 11.

This is especially worrisome for educators because studies show obesity is linked to poorer academic performance. Barbara Charness, principal at Sepulveda Middle School in North Hills, says teachers and staff members are working hard to make students aware of the importance of making healthy food choices.

``You can't just eat junk food and expect to feel good and perform well in school,'' said Charness, who sees kids having doughnuts, chips and coffee for breakfast. ``I see a lot of heavy kids that need to be supported in their efforts of healthy eating.''

And that support comes in the form of visual messages, emphasizing healthy eating and making healthy foods available on campus. Colorful murals of fruits and vegetables and murals promoting physical activity cover the walls in the cafeteria and the eating area at the school.

The message, Charness said, is that nutrition and exercise go hand in hand. ``In the short term, eating better and staying active will support their academic success and raise self-esteem,'' she said. ``In the long term, they will take the knowledge of staying healthy and pass it along to their children.''

Staying active is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, but many kids are spending more time with the television or playing video games than doing physical activities.

According to the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 31 percent of children in Los Angeles County were overweight in 2004.

The rise in childhood obesity has some teachers making physical activity a priority. Darlene Thompson, a second-grade teacher at Ranchito Avenue Elementary School in Panorama City, allows time for morning exercise and physical education in the afternoon.

Her second-graders spend about 15 minutes stretching, walking and jogging every morning. Thompson says her class gets about 200 minutes of physical activity every two weeks.

Under state law, school districts are required to provide 20 minutes of physical education every day to students in kindergarten through sixth grade and 40 minutes for seventh- through 12th-graders.

Thompson says it's important that kids get a physical break because they are more alert after they move around and hydrate their bodies.

In addition to physical activity, Thompson says she promotes a healthy lifestyle during class time by encouraging kids to ask for fruit and vegetables, read nutrition labels and create healthy habits. She says it's scary to see kids having Flamin' Hot Cheetos, lattes or chocolate in the morning.

``I don't want to blame anyone, but we want to encourage kids to take charge of their health and be aware of what they need to do to live healthy,'' Thompson said.

And encouraging a healthy lifestyle for students is also a priority at Arminta Street Elementary School in North Hollywood.

``It's heartbreaking to see a 5-year-old child who is obese,'' said Julie Kane, the principal at Arminta Street Elementary School. ``It's evident here that obesity starts early and you are setting kids up with lifetime habits that will be very hard to break.''

Overweight children face greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, as well as having low self-esteem.

But Kane and the staff are working hard to help prevent unhealthy habits. For the past three years, the school has participated in the LAUSD Nutrition Network, which supports healthy eating and adequate physical activity in schools.

The goal is for children to eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, and enjoy 60 minutes of physical activity, each day. To achieve this, Nutrition Network has several programs, including Harvest of the Month, which gives students the opportunity to taste and explore a different fruit or vegetable each month.

``Can I have more blueberries?'' asked one of Beverly Hentzen's special day class students.

Blueberries were the featured harvest for August. Hentzen, the lead Nutrition Network teacher at the school, spent about 45 minutes introducing her students to blueberries.

As she gave each student a handful of blueberries, some thought they were grapes.

``The eating habits begin at home so the hope is that kids will share what they learn about nutrition with their parents,'' said Hentzen, who talked about the texture, smell and color of the fruit. After learning the facts and doing a taste test, students got to make a blueberry parfait.

About 325 out of the 858 schools in LAUSD participate in Nutrition Network during the school year, said Lori Vollandt, coordinator of healthy education programs at LAUSD.

Hart Street Elementary School in Canoga Park is also part of the Nutrition Network and although it doesn't participate in the summer, it provides a salad bar to students twice a week. It is one of 65 schools providing a salad or fruit and vegetable bar in LAUSD.

``When we have the salad bar, the kids get excited about it,'' said Marcy Israel, the lead Nutrition Network teacher at the school. ``It's very popular and most of the kids enjoy it.''

At the back-to-school night last year, Israel recalls, a parent said her son had strawberries at school, then asked to go buy some at the market.

``We need to teach kids that there are healthy choices that are tasty out there,'' Israel said.

Whether it's through programs like Nutrition Network, physical activity or healthier eating choices, schools share a common goal -- to help kids be more astute in the choices they make and help lower obesity rates.

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(1 -- 4 -- color) CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Darlene Thompson's students at Ranchito Avenue Elementary School in Panorama City run two laps as part of their daily exercise routine. Second-graders at Ranchito Avenue Elementary School in Panorama City stretch, walk and run for about 15 minutes every morning. Beverly Hentzen offers her students at Arminta Street Elementary School in North Hollywood blueberries, the harvest food feature of the month. Second-graders Dulce Ramirez, Amel Karraa and Coral Garcia eat their lunch at Hart Street Elementary School in Canoga Park.

Photos by Denisse Salazar/Valley News