Promoting Positive Advertising
in Your Local School District
Katelyn Hall
Brigham Young
University
Running head: PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING 1
EN
GL 3
12
“As a senior at Brigham Young University I
have been presented with many health
related issues in my chosen field of study.
Taking classes through the Exercise &
Wellness and Nutrition programs has
opened my eyes and has given me a firm
foundation off of which I have built and
developed opinions on these issues. With
the help of professors and researchers
around the world I hope to gain your trust
as I address the most intriguing issue of
them all, the ever growing epidemic of
childhood obesity.”
Katelyn Hall
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
LA
RG
E
Our nation is constantly at war with numerous issues. From
the war on drugs to the war on the family, the leaders of
our nation have their hands full, leaving other problems,
like childhood obesity, on the back-burner with the rest of
the greasy, artery clogging double bacon cheeseburgers.
In April of 2008, former Surgeon General, Dr. Richard
Carmona, addressed this issue in San Francisco and made
this riveting statement, “At a time when we are at war, at a
time when there are so many competing interests, obesity
really isn’t a sexy thing” (FORA.tv, 2008). He also shared
an experience from 2005 when a reporter asked him,
“Surgeon General, what is the most pressing issue before
you today?” He answered with, “Obesity, because obesity is the terror
within. It is destroying us, it is destroying
our society from within”(FORA.tv, 2008).
So who is fighting the war on childhood obesity? After all, it
could very well be one of the most dangerous epidemics in
the nation.The P
roble
m a
t
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
This epidemic is so extremely dangerous for multiple
reasons. One of them being it’s affect on the lifespan of
it’s victims. In 2006, Daniels stated:
The increasing prevalence and severity of childhood
obesity may reverse the modern era's steady
increase in life expectancy, with today's youth on
average living less healthy and ultimately shorter
lives than their parents-the first such reversal in
lifespan in modern history. Such a possibility makes
obesity in children an issue of utmost public health
concern. (p. 47)In the five years since this statement was published we
have seen a significant climb in childhood obesity and
even signs of chronic illnesses in our nation’s youth
(Daniels, 2006, p. 48). If this is kept up then how do we
honestly expect our nation to have a successful future?
On the same note, who do we expect to go to war for our
country? run our retirement homes and hospitals? raise
our grandchildren? Simply, the future work force does not
look as appetizing as that back-burner double bacon
cheeseburger.I am here to convince you, as a parent of these future
leaders, that the declining health of our
nation’s youth is preventable! With the many
challenges and trials that our nation is facing, this is one
of few that can be rerouted. In this brochure it is my goal
to assist you in successfully influencing the epidemic of
childhood obesity in your own home1 and community.
1Many children are also homeschooled, making it even more
important that their homes provide a healthy
environment.
The P
roble
m a
tLA
RG
E…
conti
nued.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
Defi
nin
g
Childhood O
besi
tyConsidering that 31.0% of the children in our nation
are overweight or obese, it is important that we
understand how they are actually defined as such
(Hedley, Ogden, Johnson, Carroll, & Curtin, 2004, p.
2847). The parameters for obesity in children is
determined differently than done so in adults.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
As you may know, adults—being defined as 20+ years
of age—use the BMI scale to determine the status of
their body composition. BMI stands for “body mass
index” and is used to measure body composition
(Deurenberg & Mabel, 1999, p. 7). In more technical
terms, it is a “weight to height index providing a
measure of body weight corrected for height”
(Deurenberg & Mabel, 1999, p. 7). This measurement is
represented by a number that can be found on the BMI
chart. Depending on what range the number falls in
roughly determines your body composition. The ranges
for adults are 18.5> being underweight, 18.5-24.9 being
normal, 25-29.9 being overweight, and 30< being obese
(Flegal, Carroll, Ogden, & Curtin, 2010, p. 235). Different
phases of obesity are then introduced after a BMI of 30
(Flegal et al., 2010, p. 235). Children—ages 6-19—are measured in percentiles. If
your child fell below the 5 th percentile then they would
be defined as underweight, 5 th-85 th would be normal,
85 th-95 th would be “at risk” to be over weight; and 95 th<
would be over weight (Hedley et al., 2004, p. 2847).
Many fallacies have been brought to light about these
measurements. One of the largest issue is that of the
term “overweight.” The truth of the matter is the
children that are above the 95 th percentile are actually
obese. The problem is your pediatrician will not tell you
this in fear of damaging the confidence or emotions of
your child. It is your job to be knowledgeable of these
measurements.
Defi
nin
g
Childhood O
besi
ty…
conti
nued.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
What
is c
ausi
ng
childhood o
besi
ty? Childhood obesity is being caused by a lot more than that
double bacon cheeseburger that has America wrapped
around it’s little finger. A larger causing agent is that of
being uninformed. An uniformed parent is more likely to
feed their children foods with refined sugar, allow them to
watch multiple hours of TV a day, and fail to sign them up
for little league baseball. Story, Kaphingst, & French
(2006) stated, “Parents create an environment conducive
to active or sedentary lifestyles” (p. 130). It is the
sedentary lifestyle that is so hazardous for their children’s
health and potential.Outside of the home, kids spend many hours a day in
another vital environment: schools. If a child’s home is full
of unhealthy habits then their only chance at a healthy life
is provided by the classroom.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
Obesi
ty in
Our
Sch
ools
A place where the majority of our nation’s children can be
found is in the schools. Story et al. (2006) released a
statement saying, “Schools can become one of the
nation’s most effective weapons in the fight
against obesity by creating an environment
that is conducive to healthful eating and
physical activity” (p. 130). This being the case, schools
are one of the most influential environments that our
children are involved in. Unfortunately, many school districts
have not been able to provide a healthy environment.
Schools are now being filled with vending machines, al a
cartes, and advertisements for large franchise companies
that sell every kind of junk food you can think of (Story et
al., 2006, p. 117). Take note that some school districts have
banned such things from their hallways and cafeterias.
However, in many cases schools need more money and are
willing to sacrifice the health of their students—your children
—in order to obtain this extra revenue.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
“Lisa Ray, founder of the Minnesota based group
Parents for Ethical Marketing, says the biggest problem
with in-school advertising is that it undermines
parents’ ability to protect their children
from commercial messages” (Macedo, 2010, p.
2). Convincing you that childhood obesity is a rising issue
in our nation is not a difficult task. There are multiple
studies and research plainly shows this problem.
However, convincing you to help the next generation
become and stay healthy is quite the challenge.
Throughout this brochure I will provide for you some
how-to’s of keeping your child healthy amidst the
marketing in today’s school systems and how to
become a successful advocate for making a difference
in your local school district.
…co
nti
nued.
Obesi
ty in
Our
Sch
ools
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
What
You C
an
Do
Promote healthy living in your
public school system! This means
getting rid of the negative and unhealthy
advertising and replacing it with positive and
uplifting material that promotes a healthy
lifestyle. Advertising and marketing does not
have to be a negative concept. It can be
used to benefit the well-being of students
throughout the nation.Replacing junk food and even pop culture
ads on lockers, book covers, and school
buses with healthier advertisements can
significantly influence students.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
The negative effects of advertisers
and marketers infiltrating our school system are
very clear. Not only is the health of our children
compromised, but their shaky morals are tested and their
vulnerable minds simply cannot appropriately compute
what is being placed all around them. Since these children
are so receptive to this media, we as parents and adults
need to be extra careful with what kind of media that we
let into the schools (Story et al., 2006, p. 130).
Alternative options that promote a healthy lifestyle include
the government’s “MyPyramid,” now known as “MyPlate.”
Other substitutions that could be made include promoting
exercise, after school programs, or walk-a-thons. The trick
to this type of advertising is finding businesses and
companies that actually want to advertise in schools. Paul
Miller, owner of Coon Rapids-based School Media’s, stated,
“We require all advertisers to be education-, nutrition-, or
health-and-wellness-based. If it calls outside those
parameters, we don’t allow them to advertise in the
schools” (“Schools open lockers,” 2010). Miller’s business
does exactly this as they advertise for a local zoo
promoting no texting while driving, for a bank urging
students to save for college, and for an insurance company
noting that better grades equal lower premium (“Schools
open lockers,” 2010). One of the main reasons schools jump for advertising in
general is for the previously mentioned increase in budget.
Many school board members will say that the advertising
is good because it allows them to continue recess and P.E.
programs. As this is true, it is possible to keep these active
programs in the schools through the type of advertising
that Coon Rapids- based School Media’s provides.
What
You C
an
Do
…co
nti
nued.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
The Infl
uence
You C
an M
ake One of the most influential things you can do
is inspire your local school board to
make the switch to healthy
advertising and marketing in your
school district. You can start doing this by
attending public school board meetings
(Dowd, 2010, p. 35). Doing this shows your
care and concern for your cause—as well as
others’ causes—and for the students that
your cause directly affects.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
Your
Audie
nce During your preparation it is vital that you consider
your audience with every decision that you make. In
the situation of promoting healthy advertising, the
audience would be your local school board.
These individuals play a very important role in the
decisions that directly effect all children, K-12, in your
district. The pressure put on these individuals to
make the right decisions is quite high considering
they are volunteers and are generally not education-
centered professionals (Wiley & Howard-Barr, 2005, p.
7).
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
There are different types of school board members.
Wiley et al. (2005) published an article about these different
types with the purpose of informing members of the
community that may want to be successful while addressing
board members (p. 7). The two types are less-effective
members and effective members. In short, the less-effective
members are fairly selfish and cannot see the whole picture
when addressing a given issue. On the other hand, effective
members step back and obtain a more global perspective
with each issue. They are able to “make thoughtful,
deliberative decisions” (Wiley & Howard-Barr, 2005, p. 7).
When presenting your case or cause to your school board,
remember that some will be harder to sway than others.
However, as mentioned before, these people are just like us,
not administrative geniuses, and they are doing their best to
get positive outcomes out of our children's education.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
Your
Audie
nce
…co
nti
nued.
In 2010, Dowd quoted Bruce Buchanan in the association of
School Boards Journal saying,:
School board members have long held themselves
accountable for making sure that students are learning.
Now, all across the country, they are taking the lead in
ensuring that the next generation is healthy and fit by
advocating for policies and procedures that promote good
nutrition, physical fitness, and overall healthy living. (p.
35)The irony comes in when Dowd points out that “Whether that
statement is accurate or not, what is clear is that preventable
diseases and lifestyle maladies are impacting America’s
children and youth at alarming rates” (p. 35).
The school board may have good intentions, but in many cases
it is actually the education of the students that is more
important to them than the actual health status of these young
scholars.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
…co
nti
nued.
Your
Audie
nce
10 Steps for
Effectively
Advocating with
School Boards
1. Understand School Board Responsibilities
2. Connect Health to Academics
3. Remember the Golden Rule
4. Provide Financial Solutions not Obstacles
5. Strength in Numbers
6. Be Persistent
7. Stick to the Point
8. Control your Passion
9. Celebrate Small Victories
10. Build Relationships (J
efferies, 2009, p. 35-37)
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
The school board has four identified responsibilities:
1.Vision2.Structure3.Accountability4.Advocacy
This is where you can play an important role since health is
clearly not on their list. Advocating for positively influential
advertising in schools may not directly improve grades, but
as we have previously seen it does make a significant
difference. It is your job to make this known. The health
of all of these students, K-12, is important
and can be improved if advocated correctly.
There are many small, but influential, things you can do to
help advocate this great cause. 1.
Unders
tand
Sch
ool B
oard
R
esp
onsi
bilit
ies
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
2.
Connect
H
ealt
h t
o
Aca
dem
ics
Amongst the many positive outcomes from
promoting healthy lifestyle in schools there
is one that outshines the rest. Simply, healthy
children get better grades. Jeffries (2009) states,
“Students who miss school due to sickness will not achieve
their potential. Students who do not feel well will be unable to
concentrate” (p. 36). Research also shows that “severely
overweight children and adolescents are four times more
likely than their healthy-weight peers to report ‘impaired
school functioning’” (Story et al., 2006, p. 110).
“With the relationship between health status and academic
achievement confirmed in scientific research, school boards
may begin paying more attention to providing high quality
health services and health instruction for students” (Wiley &
Howard-Barr, 2005, p. 6). As school board members do just
this, our children will become healthier because
their environment will be designed to assist them in doing so.
On top of keeping our kids healthy with lots of play time,
fruits, veggies, and chewy Flintstone multivitamins, let us also
push for a healthy environment in the classroom so that our
kids can excel and learn like they deserve.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
3.
Rem
em
ber
the G
old
en R
ule
• During the school board meeting is not the time to vent
your frustrations through being rude, critical, or
condescending.• A lot more will come from your efforts if you address the
school board with the same respect that you want them to
give your issue.• Keep in mind that the school board members are
volunteers that are trying their best to benefit the children
in your district.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
4.
Pro
vid
e
Fin
anci
al S
olu
tions
not
Obst
acl
es
Going to meetings, gaining supporters, and respecting the
school board are all very important. However, we must
remember that we are trying to convince the school board
that switching from unhealthy to healthy advertising is
significantly worthwhile. This takes months of preparation
considering that the more unhealthy ads can bring up to
$230,000 in extra revenue per year (Macedo, 2010). It is
even harder when you have superintendants, like Paul
Stremick, admitting, “I hate to say it’s all about the money,
but it probably is” (“Schools open lockers,” 2010, p. 1).
There are a few things to keep in mind before you go gung-
ho over changing the world, one school board at a time.
Next to getting past stubborn school board members,
money is the next largest road block. Jeffries points out
that “about 85% of the entire budget is already allocated
to salaries. The remaining 15% has to cover everything
else” (Jeffries, 2009, p. 36). So if you have any costly ideas,
be aware that they are less likely to pass compared to
ideas that have a compromise or funding plan involved.
Remember, you are more likely to leave a school board
meeting with success in hand if you propose win-win situations.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
5.
Str
ength
In
Num
bers
There are three things you should focus on before you
attend the meeting in which your cause is addressed:
recruit, recruit, and recruit! The more people you have
supporting your cause, the more attention you will
receive from the school board. You will want to join forces
with parents, health professionals, and any citizen that is
willing to fight for your case. Wiley and Howard-Barr
(2005) provide a few helpful suggestions directed
towards the “before the meeting” process (pp. 8-9).
Before the meeting you should:
• have a parent advisory group
• take “baby steps”•
smaller more reasonable initiatives should be
proposed•recommendations should be reasonable
• work with school board administration
• recruit one or two “health champions” on the
school board• Don’t forget that, “A single school board member
is powerless in changing school policies” (Jeffries,
2009, p. 35).
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
6.
Be P
ers
iste
nt
You don’t have to bring up your cause every time you go to
a board meeting. Matter of fact, it is better to be willing to
attend these meetings regularly. This shows the school
board that you are committed and that you care about
more than just your issue at hand.
When you do start presenting your issue, after plenty of
preparation and research of course, then it will probably
take multiple attempts. School board members are busy
with many issues and for them to remember your face and
your issue is like trying to remember the names of every
student in their district.
So be persistent! It will prove more effective the more face
time you have with the board. As your case is repetitively
exposed you will notice the board becoming more familiar
to you and what you are pushing for.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
7.
Sti
ck t
o t
he
Poin
t
The most important moment that can either promote
or destroy your case is when you are actually
presenting it to the school board. Keep these tips in
mind while you are preparing your presentation
(Wiley & Howard-Barr, 2005, pp. 8-9).
• present a blend of data with discussion of
the true community activity
• strike a proper balance between statistics
and the local situation
• talk about health risks of local youth
• supplement oral presentation with oral
materials• avoid “do it for the kids” mentality
• avoid the “I’m mad” approach
• link the health status of students to
improved academic performance
• avoid threats or attempts to intimidate
board members
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
8.
Contr
ol your
Pass
ion
“Passion and enthusiasm will
undo you if not tempered with
patience and respect”(Jefferies, 2009, p. 36).
Having excessive passion for your issue will cloud
your judgment and will prevent you from thinking
clearly. Many times members of the community will
jump to conclusions because of poor listening
skills. Remember, if a board member asks
questions, it does not mean he or she is opposed.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
9.
Cele
bra
te
Sm
all V
icto
ries
“If patience is a virtue, and you
plan to advocate for change in
schools, you should anticipate
becoming one of the most
virtuous individuals in your community”
(Jefferies, 2009, p. 37).
As previously mentioned, making a significant enough
difference to see changes in your school district will take
time, more than you may be expecting. Keep this in mind
before you get too deep into the process or else you may
set yourself up for disappointment.
A good way to keep your patience-tank full is by taking
note of any and all victories that you have throughout
the process (Dowd 2010, p. 36). Doing this will keep your
spirits high and will help you stay motivated.
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
10.
Build
Rela
tionsh
ips
Developing trust also takes a significant amount of
time. Depending on your district, you may not have
board meetings very often. Amongst all of the faces at
these meetings it is hard for board members to
remember everyone. However, through diligent
attendance you can become known to these board
members and eventually gain their trust.
Another key to developing and maintaining a positive
relationship with your local school board is taking the
time to let them know that you appreciate their efforts.
After the meeting:• make aware your willingness to help by serving on
a committee or any other function that would help
advance the cause• recognize when to step aside and allow the school
district to [take over]
(Wiley & Howard-Barr, 2005, pp. 8-9)
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
The “
Do’s
”
Let’s review the things that you should do as
you approach the issue of healthy advertising in your
school district.• Commit to attend regular board
meetings (Jeffries, 2009, pp. 36-37)
• Recruit large numbers of supporters
(Jeffries, 2009, pp. 36-37)
• Get support for your position (Jeffries, 2009,
pp. 36-37)• Consider the whole child (Wiley & Howard-Barr,
2005, p. 8)• Dress in business attire, arrive
early, and interact with community
participants (Dowd, 2010, p. 36)
• Sign up on the “public comment”
roster for the meeting (Dowd, 2010, p. 36)
• Bring hard copies of the message
you plan to deliver (Dowd, 2010, p. 36)
• Make your issue as clear as possible
(Jeffries, 2009, pp. 36-37)
• Propose win-win situations (Jeffries, 2009, pp.
36-37)• Be respectful (Jeffries, 2009, pp. 36-37)
• Be persistent (Jeffries, 2009, pp. 36-37)
• Be thankful (Dowd, 2010, p. 36)
• Show and interest in topics other
than just your issues
(Jeffries, 2009, pp. 36-37)
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
The “
Do N
ot'
s”
There are also a handful of things that you do not want to
include in your approach if you are hoping to be
successful. • Don’t overwhelm the board with
research (Jeffries, 2009, p. 37)
• Don’t talk down (Jeffries, 2009, p. 37)
• Avoid • the “do it for the kids
approach”• the “I'm mad approach”
• threats of attempts to
intimidate board members (Wiley &
Howard-Barr, 2005, p. 9)
• Don’t “over kill” the issue (Wiley &
Howard-Barr, 2005, p. 9)
• Don’t walk out of meetings after
your topic has been discussed. It
is a poor way to demonstrate your
overall concern for the education
of student in your district (Jeffries, 2009,
p. 36).
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PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
A L
oca
l Succ
ess
Sto
ry
Provo City School District has shown significant
improvements in the environment of their schools. Through
talking with the district’s child nutrition program director,
Jenilee McComb, I was informed about some of the many
things that the district is doing to keep their students healthy.
Not only are they keeping negative advertising out of their
schools but they are implementing and trying new ideas in
order to save money and still promote healthy living to their
students (Adams, 2011).Recently they won the national “Best of State” award through
United Fresh and ProAct for the 2010-2011 school year. With
this award they received a large amount of funding and have
been able to provide healthy food and activities for their
students. This healthy food that they serve in their cafeterias
is inspired by culinary experts and they have recently revised
their menus to be healthier. To keep their students active they
have determined “Move It!” to be this school year’s theme.
They get their kids to “Move It!” by teaching them fun dances
during their already healthy lunch time, as well as by giving
out bikes, via raffle to their students, that they won in a
contest.McComb’s role in all of this is to create and analyze menus
and calendars to meet government guidelines. She then
meets with the school board at least once a month to review
her work. McCombs stated, “[the school board members are]
very positive and supportive and wise... but strict with
money” (McComb, J., personal communication, July 26, 2011).
McCombs also mentioned that the parents and PTA been
wonderful and very involved.29
PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
As you can see, Provo City School District is doing
an excellent job of creating a healthy environment
for their students. Let us all become
advocates of this healthy cause by
helping other districts rise up to their
potential and become more like the one in
Provo, Utah. As we do this, our children will
become healthier and will be able to fill their
potential as future parents and leaders of our
nation.
PROMOTING POSITIVE ADVERTISING
30
Work
s C
ited
Adams, J. (2011, May 15). Maybe not just a yellow bus anymore. The Daily
Universe.Daniels, S.R. (2006). The consequences of childhood overweight and obesity.
Future of Children, 16(1), 47-67.Deurenberg P. & Mabel, Y. (1999). The assessment of obesity: methods for
measuring body fat and global prevalence of obesity, 13(1), 1-11.
Dowd, K. (2010, March/April). School board advocacy: ready, aim, inspire!.
Strategies, 23(4), 35-36.Draper, N. (2010, October 18). Schools open lockers to advertising.
Flegal, K.M., Carroll, M.D., Ogden, C.L., & Curtin L.R. (2010). Prevalence and
Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 303(3), 235-241.
FORA.tv. (2008, April). Dr. Richard Carmona on the obesity epidemic [Video
Podcast]. Retrieved from http://fora.tv/2008/04/02/Former_Surgeon_General_Dr__Richard_Carmona
#Dr__Richard_Carmona_on_the_Obesity_Epidemic
Hedley, A.A., Ogden, C.L., Johnson, C.L., Carroll, M.D., Curtin, L.R., & Flegal K.M.
(2004, June 16). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US
children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. The Journal of the American Medical
Association, 291(23), 2847-2850.
Jefferies, S. (2009, January/February). School boarding 101: winning friends and
influencing people. Strategies, 22(3), 35-37.
Macedo, D. (2010, September 27). Advocates debate using advertising in
schools to raise funds in budget crisis.
McComb, J. (2011, July 26). Telephone interview.
Story, M., Kaphingst, K.M., & French, S. (2006). The role of schools in obesity
prevention. The Future of Children, 16(1), 109-131.
Wiley, D.C., & Howard-Barr, E.M. (2005). Advocacy to action: addressing
coordinated school health program issues with school
boards. Journal of School Health, 75(1), 6-11.
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