Fact Sheet

Nutrition, Physical Activity and Achievement

The facts are in: poor nutrition and lack of physical activity lead to lower academic achievement. Study after study proves what educators have long believed to be true: when childrens basic nutritional and fitness needs are met, they have the cognitive energy to learn and achieve. Schools continue to be a core place for students to learn and practice healthy eating habits, and can also be a primary place to gain the knowledge, motivation, and skills children need for lifelong physical activity [1 .

Poor nutrition hampers academic achievement. !ecent studies demonstrate: "n a #ew $ork study, many students e%perienced malnutrition that was too slight for clinical signs yet still affected their intelligence and academic performance. This impairment can be corrected through improved nutrition [& , [' . (mong fourth grade students, those having the lowest amount of protein in their diet had the lowest achievement scores [) . "ron deficiency anemia leads to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration. *onse+uently, anemic children tend to do poorly on vocabulary, reading, and other tests [, . *hildren who suffer from poor nutrition during the brain-s most formative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge [. . Si%/ to eleven/year/old children from food/insufficient families had significantly lower arithmetic scores and were more likely to have repeated a grade. 0amilies were classified as food/deficient if they self/reported as sometimes or often not having enough food to eat. "n addition, food/insufficient teenagers were more likely to have been suspended from school, and children in this category were more likely to have seen a psychologist and to have e%perienced difficulty interacting with their peers [1 . 2ven moderate under/nutrition 3inade+uate or sub/optimal nutrient intake4 can have lasting effects and compromise cognitive development and school performance [5 . 6orning fasting has a negative effect on cognitive performance, even among healthy, well/nourished children. ( test of the speed and accuracy of response on problem/solving tasks given to children who did or did not eat breakfast found that skipping breakfast had an adverse influence on their performance on the tests [7 .

Fact Sheet
Nutrition, Physical Activity and Achievement

Proper nutrition enhances academic performance. School 8reakfast 9rograms are especially effective in increasing child nutrition and enhancing academic performance. 9articipation in a School 8reakfast 9rogram: !elieves hunger and improves childrens ability to succeed at school [1: ,[11 ; "ncreases intake of food energy, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin * [1& ; "mproves school performance and reduces absenteeism and tardiness [1' ; "mproves academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning [1) ; <eads to increased math grades, lowered absenteeism, and improved behavior [1, ; "ncreases composite math and reading scores, improves student behavior, reduces morning trips to the nurse, and increases student attendance and test scores [1. ; Strengthens childrens psychosocial outcomes, lowering an%iety, hyperactivity, depression, and psychosocial dysfunction [11 ; !aises scores on basic skills tests and reduces tardiness and absenteeism among participants [15 . Across the nation, physical education programs are on the decline. 0rom 1771 to 1777, the percentage of students who attended daily physical education classes declined from )&= to &7= [17 . The ma>ority of high school students take physical education for only one year between 7th and 1&th grades [&: . Increased physical activity leads to higher academic achievement. !ecent studies show: 9roviding more opportunity for increased physical activity 3by reducing class time4 leads to increased test scores. ( reduction of &): minutes per week in class time for academics to enable increased physical activity led to consistently higher mathematics scores [&1 , [&& . "ntense physical activity programs have positive effects on academic achievement, including increased concentration; improved mathematics, reading, and writing test scores; and reduced disruptive behavior. (cademic achievement improves even when the physical education reduces the time for academics [&' . (erobic conditioning may help to improve memory. 2%ercise may strengthen particular areas of the brain, and o%ygen intake during e%ercise may enhance greater connections between neurons [&) .

Fact Sheet
Nutrition, Physical Activity and Achievement

The links between child nutrition, physical activity, and achievement will be one of the topics addressed at the Healthy Schools Summit: Ta ing Action for !hildren"s Nutrition and Fitness . The Summit will be held in ?ashington, @.*., on Actober 1 and 5, &::&. *haired by former B.S. Surgeon Ceneral @avid Satcher, 6@, 9h@, the Summit will kick off nationwide initiatives to improve childrens health. (ction for Dealthy Eids State Teams will work together before, during, and after the Summit to create healthy school environments. 0or further information about the Healthy Schools Summit, and to learn about ways to become involved in your (ction for Dealthy Eids State Team, visit the Action for Healthy #ids website at http:FFwww.(ction0orDealthyEids.org.
Sources: [1 8ogden, G.0. 0it, healthy, and ready to learn: a school health policy guide. (le%andria 3H(4: #(S82, &:::; [& Schoenthaler, S. (bstracts of early papers on the effects of vitamin/mineral supplementation on "I and behavior. 9ersonality and "ndividual @ifferences 1771;1&3)4:')'; [' Schoenthaler, S., (mos, S., 2ysenck, D., 9eritJ, 2., and $udkin, G. *ontrolled trial of vitamin mineral supplementation: effects on intelligence and performance. 9ersonality and "ndividual @ifferences 1771;1&3)4:'.1; [) (merican School 0ood Service (ssociation 3(S0S(4. "mpact of hunger and malnutrition on student achievement. School 8oard 0ood Service !esearch !eview 1757; 31,Spring4:11/&1; [, 9arker, <. The relationship between nutrition and learning: a school employee-s guide to information and action. ?ashington: #ational 2ducation (ssociation, 1757; [. 8rown, <., 9ollitt, 2. 6alnutrition, poverty and intellectual development. Scientific (merican 177.;&1)3&4:'5/)'; [1 (laimo, E., Alson, *.6., 0rongillo Gr., 2.(. 0ood insufficiency and (merican school/aged children-s cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development. 9ediatrics Guly &::1;1:5314:))/,'; [5 *enter on Dunger, 9overty, and #utrition 9olicy. Statement on the <ink between #utrition and *ognitive @evelopment in *hildren. 6edford, 6(: Tufts Bniversity School of #utrition 177,; [7 9ollitt, 2., <eibel, !., Creenfield, @. 8rief fasting, stress, and cognition in children. (merican Gournal of *linical #utrition 1771;')3(ug4:1,&./ 1,''; [1: 6urphy, G.6., 9agano, 6.2., #achmani, G., Sperling, 9., Eane, S., Eleinman, !.2. The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning. (rchives of 9ediatrics and (dolescent 6edicine 1775;1,&:577/7:.; [11 Eleinman, !.2. et al., Dunger in children in the Bnited States: potential behavioral and emotional correlates. 9ediatrics 1775;1:1314:2'. [1& 6athematica 9olicy !esearch. *hildrens diets in the mid/177:s: dietary intake and its relationship with school meal participation. 0inal report to BS@( &::1; [1' Affice of !esearch, 2ducation, and the *enter for #utrition 9olicy and 9romotion, BS@(. (merican Gournal of *linical #utrition 1775;.13)4:175S/5:'S; [1) B.S. @epartment of Dealth and Duman Services. Cuidelines for school health programs to promote lifelong healthy eating. 6orbidity and 6ortality ?eekly !eport !ecommendations and !eport 177. Gun 1); ),:!!/7; [1, 8arnard, (. Study links school breakfast, results. 8oston Clobe &::: #ov &7; [1. 6innesota @epartment of *hildren 0amilies and <earning. School breakfast programs energiJing the classroom 1775; [11 6urphy, G.6. et al. 2ffects of a universally free, in/classroom school breakfast program: results from the 6aryland 6eals for (chievement 2valuation. "nitial !eport 1777 6ay ); [15 6eyers, (.0. et al. School breakfast program and school performance. (merican Gournal of @iseases of *hildren 1757;1)':1&')K7; [17 *enters for @isease *ontrol. 9hysical activity and good nutrition: essential elements to prevent chronic diseases and obesity. (t a Clance &::&; [&: #(S92, 2%ecutive Summary, Shape of the #ation &::1; [&1 Shephard, !.G., Holle, 6., <avalee, 6., <a8arre, !., Ge+uier, G.*., !a>ic, 6. !e+uired physical activity and academic grades: a controlled longitudinal study. "n: <imarinen and Halimaki, editors. *hildren and Sport. 8erlin: Springer Herlag; 175). ,5/.'; [&& Shephard, !.G. *urricular physical activity and academic performance. 9ediatric 2%ercise Science 1771;7:11'/1&.; [&' Symons,*.?., *inelli, 8., Games, T.*., Croff, 9. 8ridging student health risks and academic achievement through comprehensive school health programs. Gournal of School Dealth 1771;.13.4:&&:/&&1; [&) Gensen 1775.