School food-service directors' perceptions of childhood obesity

A random sample of 300 school food-service directors from Ohio were sent a questionnaire concerning childhood obesity and 210 (70%) responded. 79% believed normal weight was important to children's health and 88% believed it was their duty to prepare nutritionally balanced lunches. 79% also believed that most school lunches are designed to provide nutritionally balanced meals and that preparing nutritious lunches for school children was professionally gratifying (87%). 48% of the respondents believed school food-service personnel should play a major role in controlling obesity in childhood. There were numerous significant differences in perceptions of childhood obesity based on the length of time as a food-service director. The leading sources of information on meal planning were workshops (79%), on-the-job training (78%), in-service programs (66%), and past experience (63%). These results may be due to the relatively limited or nonspecific academic training in nutrition by the majority of these respondents.