SOPHIA

Childhood Obesity: The role of nutritional school lunch interventions in lowering minority children’s BMI

Childhood obesity in America is a problem that is putting the health of the next generation at risk. Childhood obesity rates have been shown to be higher in minority children. This systematic review seeks to analyze the effects of school lunch consumption on childhood health in minority children. ScienceDirect and PubMed databases were utilized to search the literature. Keywords used included childhood obesity, school lunch interventions, and school lunches. Only peer reviewed journal articles were considered. Review articles and articles not written in English were excluded. Randomized controlled trials and cross sectional studies were evaluated. Six studies examined the effect of school lunches on childhood health and obesity. Four studies implemented multi-component nutrition interventions, including lower fat and sugar content in school lunches and a nutrition curriculum, found that significantly more minority children in interventions were able to maintain healthy BMI’s than children in control groups. A study implementing 30 minute nutrition classes weekly saw an increase in children’s nutrition knowledge. One study analyzed eating habits of children in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Participants were less likely to drink energy dense beverages in school, suggesting a positive effect of NSLP on children’s eating decisions, although cause and effect was not established. In conclusion, school lunches with decreased fat and sugar content combined with a nutrition curriculum can have a positive effect on children’s BMIs. This research shows that nutrition interventions in schools can be effective in lowering obesity rates in minority children in America.