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The second theme that emerged pointed to the lack of professional development in working with obese students and lack of exposure to the Community Eligibility Provisions (CEP) program.

Teacher responses. Emily stated she has only received a brief training on how obesity affects the physical development of a student. Emily shared that each year the teachers are required to take a workshop on working with students who have diabetes. “Obesity is briefly discussed in the workshop though I would like to have a more detailed training on the effects of childhood obesity.” Molly described the lack of knowledge on childhood obesity and explained that childhood obesity is not an area that she is familiar with. She expressed a desire “to have a greater understanding of how I can effectively work with my obese students”. Sandra shared the uncertainty of talking to obese students about an intervention program and expressed a concern about how to approach students without being offensive. She said, “ I would like obesity intervention training and be given strategies on how to communicate my concern for my obese students without offending anyone.”

Others also expressed a desire to know how to communicate with obese students without causing offense. Roland said the he has “read literature on the effects of obesity and academic performance” and aspires “to obtain knowledge on the correlation between obesity and academic performance.” Kimberly shared that she would like to know “specific strategies to help students who are obese be successful in my classroom by focusing on the helping my obese student lose weight and increase his or her self-

esteem.” Paul conveyed apprehensions with exactly how other teachers perceive obese students and explained that

as a special education teacher, I am aware that there are medical reasons some students are obese. Teachers and school staff need to be mindful that obesity is not always a consequence of being inactive and making poor food choices. I would like educators to be cognizant that genetics, illnesses, and other effects can become the main reason a student is obese.

When presented with the interview questions about the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), Paul, Molly, and Emily could not explain the CEP program and how it has been effective in their school. Roland, Sandra, and Kimberly identified the CEP program as a program that paid for students to eat breakfast and lunch at school. Roland, Sandra, and Kimberly were unable to elaborate on the goal of the program and how it benefited their school.

Administrator response. The administrator shared he participated in a brief training on childhood obesity in his undergraduate degree. He does not recall any additional or recent childhood obesity training. George stated “I believe there is a great need for professional development as the number of childhood obesity cases in Tiger Elementary continues to rise each year.”

School nurse. Childhood obesity training was highlighted in the school nurses’ recent professional development course. Tabitha shared, “I consider childhood obesity a serious health complication and feel there is a great need for an in-depth professional development course that specifically is geared toward childhood obesity for school

personnel. “She noticed that obesity is not considered a severe problem among students, families, and some school personnel. Tabitha said that “awareness of the negative consequences of childhood obesity can assist in creating prevention and intervention programs at this school.”

Social worker response. The social worker shared that during an internship at the local university, she had to shadow a social worker who started a program for obese students. The adverse effects of childhood obesity were discussed in depth and

enlightened the social worker on how obesity affects all areas of a student’s life. Barbara explained “limited training on the topic of childhood obesity was presented during my social work courses at the university. My mentor during my internship prepared me to work with students and families in the area of childhood obesity.”

School psychologist response. During the doctoral program the school

psychologist researched childhood obesity and the affects it has on a child’s self-esteem and self-worth. The school psychologist shared he feels there is an urgent need for a professional development for all school personnel that focus on increasing an obese self- worth. Bentley believes that childhood obesity most often leads to adult obesity and lifelong struggles with depression and low self-esteem. He shared that during his doctoral program there was training literature that was presented in class that displayed evidence that “many obese adults who were also obese children do not feel satisfied with their adult life.”

Cafeteria manager. The cafeteria manager explained she has participated in workshops that have included ways to decrease childhood obesity by offering more fresh

fruits and vegetables and limiting processed foods. Suzanne identified the fact that the food selections that the school could afford were often processed or canned due to the price of fresh fruits and vegetables and that the budget would not allow for fresh fruits and vegetables in previous years. However, for the past 2 years the school has

participated in the CEP program. Suzanne believed that “this program has allowed a greater selection of fresh fruits and vegetables incorporated in the daily meals of students, without the burden of the limited budget for fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Summary. The participants expressed a desire to obtain knowledge of childhood obesity through professional development courses. The school nurse reported having recent professional development in childhood obesity. Most school personnel desire up to date professional development in the areas that concern students dealing with childhood obesity. Three teachers, the administrator and the cafeteria manager were the only school personnel that were aware of the CEP program and the benefits of the program in the school.