How one Columbia school changed itself to fight off childhood obesity

Candy. Cookies. Wrapping paper.

Parents used to receive fund-raising appeals all year long. Not only did they feel obligated to purchase items they didn’t really want, but the offerings sometimes contradicted the healthy habits they were trying to instill at home.

At Columbia’s Brockman Elementary School, we heard those concerns loud and clear and worked with our Parent Teacher Organization to find a new way.

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8 Richland 1 schools recognized as among healthiest in nation

Columbia gets $25,000 grant to help fight childhood obesity

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The solution? Those old fundraisers are out, and the Brockman FUNd Run is in. Students collect pledges from their parents, neighbors and coaches; it’s truly a community-wide effort. Leading up to the run, we set up stationary bikes and provide kids with yoga instruction and healthy smoothies — all donated from community members — to inspire them to take care of their bodies. Last year, in just one day, we raised more than $20,000 to support our school.

We strive not only to provide our kids with a world-class education, but also to equip kids with the tools they’ll need to enjoy happy and healthy lives. Our community is united in the belief that some of the most important lessons we instill in our children are taught in the cafeteria and on the playground. As a result of our commitment to children’s health, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program recently recognized us as one of America’s Healthiest Schools. We’re one of only 20 schools in South Carolina to earn a National Healthy Schools Award, and the only one in the state to earn the gold-level award.

We’re grateful for this recognition, which comes after years of hard work and dedication — and an understanding that we had to do something to make our schools and students healthier.

Since 1980, childhood obesity rates in the United States have more than tripled. In South Carolina, 39 percent of children 10-17 are overweight or obese, the third-highest rate in the country.

Those numbers are daunting, but we’re tackling them through our collective mindset — shared by administrators, teachers, staff, parents and even our students — that kids have the best chance to excel in the classroom when they’re healthy outside of it. Indeed, a growing body of research shows that a healthy breakfast and regular physical activity aren’t just good for kids’ health; they can actually improve academic performance. So we’ve taken innovative steps to make the entire school day healthier.

Our youngest students start the day with a 20-minute recess. We’ve noticed that when students can expend their energy in the morning, they come into the classroom ready to concentrate. We’re hoping to expand this practice to all students in the coming year.

School birthday parties are now celebrated with fresh fruits and vegetables, if students decide to have snacks at all. We like to think of birthdays as celebrations of life rather than celebrations of unhealthy food. We believe it’s important to send a consistent message to students about their health, whether they’re in the cafeteria, in the classroom or out in the community.

We’ve even worked with a local restaurant, Schiano’s Pizza, to prepare a healthy pizza that meets the federal Smart Snacks in School standards so that if we do want to include pizza at a school-sponsored celebration, we can do so in a way that’s consistent with our standards.

Schools can and should be the driving force behind positive change, but we also need help. A few years ago, for instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated nutrition standards for school meals that today are being implemented successfully in 100 percent of S.C. schools. The standards are working — meals are healthier and students are enjoying them — and recent polling shows that parents nationwide support them. Every level of government can support maintaining and strengthening those standards and provide districts with the resources needed to continue implementing them.

We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished here, but nothing would make us happier than seeing our success replicated in every school district across America.

As kids across the country settle in for another school year, let’s do all we can to ensure that every child is enrolled in one of America’s healthiest schools.