HOST HEPA Roundup, March 14, 2016

The latest in our regular roundups of healthy eating and physical activity news from HOST members and others.

Events

Salud America! is hosting a Twitter chat on "How Kids Can Eat Healthy in Child Care and Afterschool Settings." Join in on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, from 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), by following the hashtag #SaludTues.

News

Afterschool Alliance and Voices for Healthy Kids (an initiative of the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) have collaborated to build a consortium around increasing children’s physical activity and healthy food consumption in early childhood and in out-of-school time settings.
The Colorado Board of Health unanimously passed new rules to require licensed Colorado child care centers to serve meals and snacks that meet current USDA nutrition guidelines, prohibit children from being served sugary drinks, increase their physical activity, and limit their screen time.
A group of moms in Florida is pushing for legislation to require recess in Florida schools. They were unsuccessful in the legislative session that just ended, but vow to try again.
The Food Research and Action Center has launched a new blog, which will "provide updates and commentary on Capitol Hill, the federal nutrition programs, and anti-hunger efforts."

Research

A new report from the Afterschool Alliance, "The Growing Importance of Afterschool in Rural Communities," finds that "An overwhelming majority of rural parents are satisfied with their child’s afterschool program overall (85 percent), as well as with opportunities for their child to interact with peers (90 percent), homework help (82 percent), physical activity offered (81 percent), healthfulness of the program’s beverages, snacks and/or meals (79 percent) and STEM learning opportunities (68 percent)."

Success Stories

The National Recreation and Park Association is celebrating the accomplishments of the first two years of its national Commit to Health campaign, which encourages park and recreation sites to adopt theHealthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards. These standards werecreated by HOSTin 2010-11.
An elementary school in Indiana has gotten kids active by installing stationary bikes and encouraging their use with a way to log miles, a bike-a-thon, and an upcoming virtual "Race to Disney World," reports Action for Healthy Kids.
Nancy Pullen Seufert, Director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, writes about how programs that help create safer environments for walking and biking"can play a broader role in other community concerns by reducing transportation costs, creating connectivity within communities, and serving as a tool to combat truancy, improving readiness to learn, and enhancing overall community life."
Youth Today shares a post fromSasha Purpura, executive director of Food For Free, which works to bringsurplus foodfrom grocery stores, bakeries and wholesalers to schools and families in need.

Tools and Tips