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"Like many schools, we have made strides in our lunch program, but we saw an opportunity to partner with the Life Time Foundation to support our commitment to serve the healthiest food and ingredients possible"
CHANHASSEN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With an estimated 30 million children in the U.S. eating school lunch regularly, providing nutritious meals at school is vital. This is emphasized by the fact that a significant number of our nation’s children consume more than half of their daily calories at school*. Additionally, as the impact of childhood obesity continues to grow, families also must focus their attention on providing healthy meals at home and ensuring ample physical activity.
As part of its ‘Healthy Kids, Healthy Planet’ mission, the Life Time Foundation is undertaking the goal of positively impacting children’s health and wellness through an initiative designed to inspire healthier food and increased exercise in our nation’s schools. This involves a focus on addressing ingredients such as bleached flour, processed sugar, food coloring, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, Trans fats, antibiotics and hormones currently in the food children consume.
Deephaven Elementary, a division of the Minnetonka Public Schools, has been selected by the Life Time Foundation to be a partner in the program, with an initial focus on a pilot experiment to design and launch a new lunch menu beginning in the 2011/12 school year. The Life Time Foundation has committed to provide the resources necessary to cover the cost difference between the school’s budget and that required for the new menu. Additionally, Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM) has offered to augment the school’s exercise programs and provide parents with tools and information to help kids improve their health through improved diets and exercise at home.
“Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and the physical health of an entire generation is at stake,” said Life Time Fitness Chairman, President, CEO and Founder, Bahram Akradi. “School foodservice operators already know that a nutritious school lunch program provides significant benefits to students. In fact, many have taken positive steps in the right direction. However, strained budgets and other restrictions can pose challenges that limit progress. Through the Life Time Foundation, it is our goal to work collaboratively with the forward-thinking, innovative team at Deephaven Elementary to design and test a model that can be adopted by schools nationwide as we work to positively impact the troubling nutrition issues children face.”
Following a request for applications among Twin Cities-based elementary schools in late 2010, Life Time received initial interest from 25 schools. Of those, four met a January 31, 2011, deadline for submissions. Among all criteria provided, the final decision was made based upon the highest percentage of students who were represented by parent or guardian signatures indicating support for a menu change at the school and committing to improved nutrition at home. Deephaven Elementary achieved signatures representing more than 53% of all students – the highest among submissions received – and was therefore selected for the program.
“Like many schools, we have made strides in our lunch program, but we saw an opportunity to partner with the Life Time Foundation to support our commitment to serve the healthiest food and ingredients possible,” said Bryan McGinley, Principal, Deephaven Elementary, Minnetonka School District. “Leveraging the positive steps we already have taken, we expect to create additional opportunities for our students to obtain great-tasting, healthy foods, while increasing their activity levels. Ultimately, we believe this will have a direct effect on their energy, focus and performance both in and out of school. Life Time’s support will allow us to initially test the impact of changes at our school, before making decisions about cost-effective changes for all Minnetonka Schools.”
Life Time and Deephaven Elementary now are in the initial planning stages of the program, which begins with a comprehensive review of current lunch menus, exercise curricula, and baseline data from parents and students, and extends to the design, testing, implementation and evaluation of new meals, physical activity programs, and accompanying educational materials.
About Life Time Fitness, Inc.
As the Healthy Way of Life Company, Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM) delivers the certified professionals, comprehensive businesses and incredible destinations that help people positively change their lives every day. The Company’s healthy way of life approach enables its customers to achieve their health and fitness goals by engaging in their areas of interest – or discovering new passions – both inside and outside of Life Time’s distinctive and large sports, professional fitness, family recreation and spa destinations. As of March 25, 2011, the Company operated 90 centers under the LIFE TIME FITNESS® and LIFE TIME ATHLETICSM brands primarily in suburban locations in 20 states and 24 major markets. Additional information about Life Time centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com.
* The Minnetonka School District’s food service provides one third of the recommended calories as only a lunch program is offered, not breakfast.