Get Healthy Utah News and Blog

Kathleen Britton

Kathleen Britton, SNS has served as the Director of Child Nutrition Programs at the Utah State Board of Education, since February 2014. Ms. Britton began her nutrition work as a Diet Tech. in Cobleskill, NY at a home for the aging. She moved to Park City in 1983 and worked at the University of Utah Dietetic Department with burn and heart patients. She soon found her love of child nutrition and worked as the Director of Child Nutrition Services, Park City School District from 1992-2014. She is very passionate about child nutrition and feels we can all make a difference in a child’s life.

Wow! Has it really been 13 years since the Healthy Hunger Kids Free Act of 2010 passed? This Act helped strengthen nutrition standards for meals and beverages provided through the National School Lunch, Breakfast, and Smart Snacks Programs, affecting 50 million children daily at 99,000 schools.

So, what is next for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) child nutrition programs? By law, USDA is required to develop school nutrition standards that reflect the goals of the most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which found that most kids are consuming too much sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Hence, the new proposed rule. Here’s what you need to know:

The proposed rule applies to the following child nutrition programs: National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This also applies to organizations serving American Indian or Alaskan Native children through the schools' programs.

What is the next step? If you would like your opinion heard or would like to express your knowledge on this proposed rule, USDA encourages all interested stakeholders to submit comments by May 10, 2023.

Here are some key points to keep in mind that will be addressed in the proposed rule:

• Limits on added sugar, starting with grain-based desserts, breakfast cereals, yogurts, and flavored milks, and then also a weekly limit as previously done with Child and Adult Care Food Program requirements.
• Options for offering flavored milk.
• Options for grains, of which allow for some enriched grains to be served.
• Sodium reduction.

Helpful resources:

Visit the USDA website. This webpage contains a full description of the proposed provisions in the proposed rule and specifics on proposed provisions for added sugars, milk, sodium and whole grains. There is also a useful comparison chart here: Current Standards vs Proposed Standards, proposed timeline, and a media toolkit.

Kimberly Clevenger

Kimberly Clevenger is an Assistant Professor in Kinesiology and Health Science at Utah State University, with a background in exercise physiology. Her research interests are in the promotion and measurement of physical activity, particularly in children. 

For many, the mention of school recess brings back fond memories like being outside, hanging upside down, or making up new games with friends. These unstructured breaks are an opportunity for children to socialize, practice skills like conflict resolution, be creative, learn and apply learning, be physically active, and participate in spontaneous and free-play. Recess also serves as a much-needed break from academic pressures, the expectations of adults, and the structured and sedentary nature of the school day. It is the unstructured and autonomous nature of recess that sets it apart from other parts of the school day and makes it uniquely beneficial to children’s physical, mental, and social well-being.

In line with recent research, we recommend that all children, kindergarten through 12th grade, be provided at least 30 minutes of daily recess. Children in the United States are scheduled to have about 25 minutes of recess per day, an estimate that has declined over time, and falls short compared to other countries. Because it is often not required, recess time can too easily be reduced when something else comes up like testing or an assembly. This amount of recess is also disturbingly similar to the typical two, 15-minute breaks allotted to working adults. In line with the adage ‘play is the work of childhood,’ recess should be recognized as an essential part of the school day. However, providing high-quality recess is just as important as providing enough recess time. Overcrowding, limited options or equipment for all children regardless of weather, negative exposures like traffic noise, and lack of training for recess supervisors can lead to boredom, injuries, bullying, and other antisocial behaviors. 

While our goal should be to provide sufficient quality recess to all children, youth in middle or high school are often left out of conversations about recess, yet they stand to gain the most from the physical and psychological benefits of recess. Similarly, Black children and those at/below the poverty line get 10 fewer minutes of recess per day than their White or more affluent counterparts. These same children may have less opportunity for free-play outside of school. As stated by Olga Jarrett from Georgia State University, “since children who usually have recess consider it punishment when recess is withdrawn, one could consider that whole segments of the population are being punished daily.” 

We call on parents, educators, and community members to work together to promote positive change in the quality and quantity of recess provided to the children in their communities. However, change can also be made at the state or national level. Currently, no national policy requires schools to provide recess, and Utah is one of 29 states without a codified law in place recommending or requiring recess for school children. Recognizing the unique contributions of recess and ensuring all children have equitable access to these benefits can promote the long-term health and well-being of the children of Utah.

Greg Bell

Greg Bell is the Get Healthy Utah Board Chair. Greg is president of the Utah Hospitals Association, and previously served as lieutenant governor for Utah.

Recent research in Great Britain shows that school children are getting about two-thirds of their calories from “ultra-processed foods (UPFs),” which are heavily processed during their making. UPFs include foods “such as frozen pizzas, fizzy or milk-based drinks, mass-produced packaged bread and many ready meals. Previous research has linked regular consumption of them with obesity and increased long-term risk of health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.”

It’s much the same story in most Northern European nations, and it’s worse in the U.S. The U.K. study found home-packed meals tended to have more UPFs than school lunches because of national nutritional requirements. As the first world’s diet continues to devolve to manufactured foods with little fiber and fewer whole foods, we can expect more disease and obesity.

This is a public health crisis. We must all do what we can to slow the increase, and ultimately reverse the terrible diet our school children and society in general are eating.

This February, Get Healthy Utah and the Utah Worksite Wellness Council held the Utah Business of Health event, with the theme “Good Health is Good Business.” Leaders from Utah businesses and insurance payors attended to learn more about how and why they should promote health. Speakers shared specific ways that businesses can improve the health of their workforces and communities.

Greg Bell, President of UHA and Get Healthy Utah Board Chair

Greg Bell, president of the Utah Hospital Association, spoke to the need to improve health in Utah. Though often considered one of the healthiest states, data shows that health in Utah is in fact declining at an alarming rate, following the same trajectory as the rest of the country. This decrease in health is fueled by the increasing prevalence of inactive lifestyles, easy access to unhealthy food, and shifts towards larger and larger portion sizes. Reversing Utah’s poor health trends will require intense collaboration across sectors and system level changes. By getting involved, businesses can have a major impact on the health of their employees and their communities.

Chet Loftis, managing director of PEHP

As Managing Director of PEHP, Chet Loftis is familiar with both the costs of poor health and the opportunities businesses have to promote health. When businesses improve health, it not only reduces costs but improves their employees’ quality of life. He encouraged everyone to find innovative providers who want to improve the healthcare system. He shared six things businesses can do to improve health: 

• Make employee wellbeing a strategic priority.
• Find strength from within.
• Find the right partners (including Get Healthy Utah!).
• Help employees find their “why” for good health, and personalize wellness.
• Leverage data.
• Stay agile as new developments arise.

You can view Chet’s slide deck HERE.

Heidi Strickland, Utah Worksite Wellness Council

Alysia Ducuara, Executive Director of Get Healthy Utah 

Heidi Strickland and Alysia Ducuara presented on why good business is good health. Heidi spoke first about how businesses benefit from healthy worksites. While historically businesses implemented worksite wellness programs because of their cost savings, now more businesses are focusing on programs’ value on investment. The best worksite wellness programs address the whole person, and recognize that wellness changes over time. She encouraged attendees to apply for the Utah Worksite Wellness Awards, which recognizes innovative and successful worksite wellness programs. This year’s awards will be presented at the Annual Worksite Wellness Conference. She also invited anyone who is interested in promoting workplace wellness to volunteer on the Worksite Wellness Council.

Alysia spoke about why businesses should play a role in promoting healthy communities. She noted that where we live has a huge impact on our health, habits, and abilities. Businesses can get involved by partnering with community leaders and others working on promoting health. One opportunity is for businesses to join a community health coalition, like the one required by the Healthy Utah Communities designation!

You can view Heidi’s slides HERE and Alysia’s slides HERE. You can also review their handout HERE.

Panel Discussion

A panel of five Utah leaders shared how they and their businesses have promoted health. Alexx Goeller, from The Front Climbing Gym, talked about how businesses should partner with nonprofit organizations, rather than only providing money. Craig Weston, from Blunovus, reminded attendees that virtually everyone has been affected by mental health conditions, either personally or through a loved one. Kathryn Gibson, from ARUP, noted that direct costs are only a portion of the costs of bad health to employers. Donald Cherry, from USANA Health Sciences, exhorted attendees to design health-promoting initiatives that have the greatest impact. And Stephanie Larsen, from Health Equity, discussed tools employers can use to put healthcare dollars directly in the hands of their employees.

You can view Alexx’s slides HERE and Kathryn’s slides HERE.

Roundtable Discussions

Attendees wrapped up the event by participating in roundtable discussions on what their businesses are already doing to promote health, and what they would want to improve in the future. At the end, each table shared their insights with the whole group.