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findings of lower test scores are based on a single study. In contrast, diabetes has been shown to affectboth absenteeism and academic performance. To the extent that overweight is a primary risk factor fortype 2 diabetes, however, we find support for the argument that, at least indirectly, being overweight canaffect performance. The question then is, what do we do about it?The next section examines the research on whether school-based interventions are effective inpreventing or managing certain chronic health conditions and factors related to these conditions. We payspecial attention to the health conditions that appear to compromise academic performance. Later, we willconsider whether such interventions also make a difference in remedying deficits in academicperformance.Section 2: School-Based Interventions and Their Links to Health ConditionsThere is a strong body of research evaluating the effect of school health programs incorporatingphysical education and/or nutrition service interventions on overweight and factors related to overweightsuch as physical activity, fat consumption and television-watching. At the elementary school level, the EatWell and Keep Moving Program was effective in improving dietary intake of students and reducingtelevision viewing (Gortmaker et al., 1999a). Another elementary school program designed to reducemedia usage demonstrated decreases in indicators of overweight (BMI, triceps skinfold, waistcircumference) along with decreases in television viewing reported by both child and parents (Robinson,1999). The Bienestar program, a diabetes prevention program, demonstrated improvements in fitnessscores and dietary fiber intake, had no effect on dietary saturated fat intake or percentage of body fat, butdid find improvements in mean fasting capillary glucose levels and dietary fiber intake (Trevino et al.,2004). The SPARK elementary school program demonstrated increased physical activity during PE classfor boys and girls and fitness for girls (Sallis et al., 1997) but had minimal effect on indicators of overweight(Sallis et al., 1993).The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) was a multi-component, multiyearcoordinated school health project designed to decrease fat, saturated fat and sodium in children’sdiets, increase physical activity and prevent tobacco use. The experimental trial of CATCH was conductedin 96 schools (56 intervention, 40 control) in 4 sites (CA, LA, MN, TX). At the completion of the trial,students exposed to the intervention consumed less fat and participated in more physical activity outsideof school; school cafeterias provided meals that were lower in fat; and students were more physicallyactive during physical education classes (Luepker et al., 1996). The CATCH cohort of students was remeasuredthree years after the original intervention began (in 8 th grade), and positive effects weremaintained: intervention students had significantly lower fat intakes and higher levels of physical activitycompared to control students (Nader et al., 1999). In a quasi-experimental study of CATCH (now knownas the Coordinated Approach to Child Health) implemented in 8 schools in El Paso, Texas among 896third-graders, 93% of whom were Hispanic, the rate of increase in risk for overweight (greater than 85 thpercentile) and overweight (greater than 95 th percentile) from third to fifth grade was significantly lower forboth boys and girls in the CATCH schools compared to those in the comparison schools (Coleman et al.,2005).At the middle school level, the Planet Health program was effective in reducing television hoursamong both girls and boys, and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Among girls, each hour ofreduction in television viewing predicted reductions in obesity (Gortmaker et al., 1999b). The middleschool MSPAN program improved moderate to vigorous physical activity in physical education classes,more for boys than for girls (McKenzie T. L. et al., 2004).A review published in the Journal of Pediatrics in June of 2005 (Strong et al., 2005) of the effects ofphysical activity on health outcomes such as overweight and obesity, cardiovascular health, asthma,mental health, injuries, musculoskeletal health and fitness, and academic performance concludes thatthere is sufficient evidence to support a recommendation of 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorousphysical activity for school-age youth.E-17