As schools across the country reopen their doors this fall, hundreds of sixth graders in 42 middle schools will begin taking part in a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The HEALTHY study will determine if changes in school food services and physical education (PE) classes, along with activities that encourage healthy behaviors, lower risk factors for type 2 diabetes, an increasingly common disease in youth.

?The alarming rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes in all age groups poses a major public health crisis for this country. This important study is one component of a multi-faceted research agenda to address this dual epidemic, which threatens the health of our youth and the vitality of our health care system,? said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D.

Participating schools will be randomly assigned to a program group, which implements the changes, or to a comparison group, which continues to offer food choices and PE programs typically seen in middle schools across the country. Students in the program group will have

• healthier choices from the cafeteria and vending machines (e.g., lower fat foods, more fruits and vegetables, and drinks with no added sugar)
• longer, more intense periods of physical activity, and
• activities and awareness campaigns that promote long-term healthy behaviors.

After 2.5 years, all students will be tested for diabetes risk factors, including blood levels of glucose, insulin, and lipids. They will also be measured for fitness level, blood pressure, height, weight, and waist circumference.

?The school environment can have a profound effect on the behavior and health of young people. From this study we hope to learn if better food options, improvements in physical activity programs, and education about eating better and moving more result in healthier kids and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes,? said study chair Gary Foster, Ph.D., of Temple University.

• Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
• University of California at Irvine, CA
• University of No rth Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
• Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
• Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX
• George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (Coordinating Center)

In planning the HEALTHY study, researchers relied on the results of six pilot studies. In one such study, about half of eighth graders in 12 schools were overweight or at risk for overweight. Few had diabetes, but about 41 percent had abnormally high readings of fasting blood glucose, pointing to a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.