Food and Exercise Options Available at Public Elementary Schools

A May 16, 2006 press release from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) discusses the "Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005" report that was recently released by ED's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The report, which was developed in response to concerns over the obesity rate in school-aged children, examines the food and exercise options available to students in public elementary schools. According to the report, the majority of students in public elementary schools have daily recess and at least one physical education class per week. While most schools offer a variety of food in addition to full meals, much of it is likely to be nutritious.

The press release, which includes a link to the full report, is available at the ED Web site.