Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Implementation Linked to Drop in BMI z-Scores

MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), which strengthened nutritional standards of school-based meals, was associated with a significant decrease in annual body mass index (BMI) z-score (BMIz), according to a study published online Feb. 13 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Aruna Chandran, M.D., M.P.H., from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues examined the association between the HHFKA and youth BMI using data from the nationwide consortium of child cohort studies, the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program. Data were included for 14,121 school-aged youths contributing 26,205 BMI measurements.

The researchers identified a significant decrease in the annual BMIz following implementation of the HHFKA compared with prior to implementation (−0.041). Similar trends were seen among youth aged 12 to 18 years and among youth living in households with a lower annual income in interaction models to assess subgroup associations (−0.045 and −0.038, respectively).

“School meals and snacks represent a key opportunity for interventions to combat the childhood obesity epidemic given the high rates of participation in school meal programs and the significant proportion of caloric intake that youths receive at school,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries.

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