WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2009 (HealthDay News) -- Schools in the United States are becoming healthier places thanks to more nutritious food and an increased focus on exercise, but still more is needed to combat teen obesity, a series of studies concludes.
Among the findings of the studies, which appear in a September supplement to the Journal of Adolescent Health:
"Studies such as these, examining how policies are implemented and the impact they have, are a compass guiding our efforts to prevent and reduce childhood obesity," C. Tracy Orleans, senior scientist at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said in a news release from the foundation. "The supplement is a valuable addition to our growing knowledge of which policy efforts are working and which are not."
The researchers called for more state and school district policies regarding nutritious food and beverages and exercise levels. They also called for more research to determine if the policies are working, according to the news release.
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For more about healthy eating, see the Nemours Foundation.