School health intervention effective

WASHINGTON, May 13 (UPI) -- A U.S. school intervention involving better food, more exercise and health education resulted in lower cholesterol levels and heart rates, researchers say.

Study co-author Dr. Elizabeth A. Jackson of the University of Michigan said the middle-school intervention involving 593 students was conducted through Project Healthy Schools, a coalition of the University of Michigan and local community and business organizations.

The program goals included:

-- Eating more fruits and vegetables.

-- Eating less fatty foods.

-- Making better beverage choices.

-- Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.

-- Spending less time in front of the TV and computer.

The results were:

-- Average cholesterol was reduced from 167.39 milligrams per deciliter of blood to 149.04 mg/dL at the end of four years.

-- Low density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol, was an average 92.02 mg/dL at the study's start, vs. 85.88 after four years.

-- Resting heart rate was an average 81.3 compared to 78.3 after four years.

"This four-year school intervention in Ann Arbor, Mich., was designed to promote healthier lifestyle choices and it shows that programs like this could have long-term impact on obesity and other health risks," Jackson said in a statement. "Such changes may have sustained benefits in terms of reducing incidences of diabetes and cardiovascular disease as the students age."

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research scientific sessions in Washington.