I admit it. For a lot of issues the first thing that comes to my mind is how it affects the kids I teach. If I meet a famous journalist or a Member of Congress, someplace in in that conversation I will ask if they will come out and talk to my students. More often than not they are willing.
Nutrition in schools is an important issue. Why? Because a hungry, malnourished child will learn less than if s/he has had breakfast, gets lunch during the day. Because in school we have an opportunity to help establish and/or reinforce patterns of healthy eating. Because we have a responsibility to the young people in our care to care for them, and not just their minds.
We are seeing changes. The William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association started the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2005 to fight childhood obesity. As a result, we saw the American Beverage Association say the number of beverage calories in drinks shipped to school dropped by 88% between 2004 and 2009. And that Alliance has had some impact upon snack foods as well: as one can see in this 2006 article voluntarily agreed to restrict the marketing of high fat, high calory snack foods in schools. From the article:
Fatty, calorie-ladden candy bars, extra-salty soups and anything with trans-fatty acids will be out. Low-fat chips (baked, not fried) and low-sugar yogurts will be in.
This is being done in conjunction with a set of voluntary standards:
Under the rules, snacks marketed to schools wouldn’t get more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and more than 10 percent from saturated fat. There will be a limit of 35 percent for sugar content by weight.
Those rules would mean students in participating schools would have to say goodbye to the regular-sized Snickers bar, which gets 130 of its 280 calories from fat, and contains 30 grams of sugar, out of 58.7 total.
This is a start. It is voluntary. It is also necessary. As one can see in this story 70% of Americans are currently overweight, as compared to less than 50% in 1980. At the current trend we will pass 3/4 of our population overweight within this decade. There is a down stream cost to this. Obesity costs up to $5,000/year per person, and obese persons live 8-10 years less than normal weight people.
Yes, First Lady Michelle Obama has focused on healthy eating and exercise, trying to help address the problem in our young people.
We need them fed. We need them well fed.
Let me share three recent news stories I have encountered as I prepared to write my part of this weekend's community series on Feeding America.
The first story is from Memphis where nearly 80 percent of the 105,000-students of Memphis public schools qualify for free and reduced-price meals. This often means not only lunch, but arriving at school early in order also to get breakfast - 35% of the students were taking advantage of the free breakfast.
But too many weren't, and also were not eating at home. With the help of a grant from Got Breakfast?, an organization
works to ensure that every child, regardless of background, starts the school day with a nutritious breakfast in order to learn, grow, and develop to their fullest potential
the school system began to serve the free breakfasts in the classroom. One principal notes
Her teachers now report that students are beginning their school day more energized.
And with full stomachs and time to socialize over breakfast, the teachers are seeing better behavior as well, she said.
And better learning, higher test scores, as well as beginning to establish proper eating patterns for life, something that can help in preventing obesity further on in life.
The second story is from Cincinnati, where - according to new nutritional guidelines - calories, fat, and portion sizes are going to be limited for items sold in the school that are not part of the federal school lunch program (which has its own nutritional guidelines - this is going further).
The guidelines will limit calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, sodium and portion size in all items sold in school vending machines, a la carte lines and school stores.
"Students consume up to 50 percent of their daily calories at school," said Jessica Shelly, CPS food service director. "Providing healthy food and beverage choices will promote the health of our students, resulting in better attendance, improved behavior, lower incidence of illness, and increased attention, creativity, and academic achievement."
Stop for a moment - consider just this one line: Students consume up to 50 percent of their daily calories at school - it is of critical importance to do all we can to ensure that those calories are not consumed primarily through products heavy with sugar, fat, and high fructose corn syrup. Portion sizes will be limited to 8 ounces for elementary students and 12 ounces for those in high school, and
Under the new guidelines, sweet or salty snacks sold at CPS must be 150 calories or fewer per serving for elementary students and 200 calories or fewer per serving for high school students.
Nutrient limits per serving are 35 percent of calories from total fat, 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, zero grams of trans fat, 35 percent sugar by weight, and 230 mg of sodium.
Of course, for many of us 35% sugar by weight and 230 mg of sodium are both way too high, but believe or not this represents a significant improvement. We have effectively been poisoning our school students by giving them ready access to products that are clearly unhealthy.
Why?
Because public officials have been unwilling to confront the snack food and beverage industries, who make large profits from sales within schools.
Because schools that are cash-strapped have been reluctant to give up the revenue they obtain from the snack food and beverage machines in their buildings.
Consider that last point for a moment. Let me make a small diversion to note this: that we have to depend upon revenue from junk food and beverage machines to help fund our schools means we don't REALLY care as we claim we do about public education, about our kids. If we are putting our money where our mouths are - or rather, where the mouths of our students are - we are willing to sacrifice their long term health and well being, with increased downstream costs of medical care and lost productivity, rather than pay upfront the necessary costs of education so we did not have to rely upon those ubiquitous vending machines as a source of revenue.
I would also like to point to a New York Times editorial from a few days ago, titled Tomorrow’s School Lunches One item pending before Congress is Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (see here at the website of the Senate Agriculture Committe for details of the Senate bill). In this case, as in so many, the House has passed a superior bill to what the Senate is willing to pass, and the editorial is urging the House to bend and accept the Senate version in order to ensure that we get some important improvement in the school lunch program. The Senate version
sets new nutritional standards and provides an additional $4.5 billion over the next decade for child nutrition programs, including healthier school meals. It would also expand the number of low-income children eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals.
The House version has an additional $3 billion, and does not have the Senate offsets - which again are taking future money from the food stamp program. Now, that offset is ridiculous: why are we cutting funding for one nutrition program to meet the needs of another? Don't those senators realize how much hunger is increasing in this nation, in large part because of economic conditions that are the result of policies of the last administration, and which are getting worse because of the unwillingness of some to let the Federal government take the aggressive action that is needed?
Let me quote the penultimate paragraph of the editorial:
While the bill is not perfect, its nutrition standards would help combat childhood obesity and ensure that youngsters eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The 6 cents-per-meal increase in reimbursements to schools is basically the same as the proposed House formula and means $300 million extra per year for schools. It would be the first noninflation-related increase in the reimbursement rate since 1973.
Consider the key points of that provision
6 cents-per-meal increase in reimbursements to schools
which is first noninflation-related increase in the reimbursement rate since 1973
The rate has always been too low. Even with this increase it will be too low. Some oppose taxes on the wealthy to where they were during the largest peacetime expansion of the economy at the same time as they deny food assistance to the young people in our public schools who are our future, increasing numbers of whom cannot get the nutrition they need except through the school lunch - and breakfast - programs. Remember that figure from the story on Cincy - up to 50% of their daily calories at school. Remember also that in places of high poverty, the rate of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch: in Memphis it was nearly 80%. In some places these numbers are going up at the same time as the shelves at food banks become emptier.
Hunger is a real issue in our nation. No avenue that can assist with this basic need should be ignored. I have focused on nutrition at school because school is where I spend my workdays, where I can, even in a school located in a middle class suburb of our nation's Capital, see the impact of hunger, of not eating breakfast, of not getting regular nutrition, of becoming addicted at too early an age to junk food and junk beverages.
Today I wrote about food and nutrition. Today I also wrote about education. Remember, the hungry child does not learn as well. Improper nutrition earlier in life has huge and possibly catastrophic consequences further down in life.
I believe a free and appropriate public education is the right of every American child.
I also believe that access to appropriate food and nutrition is the right of every American.
Both are our societal responsibility, which where possible should be achieved through governmental actions.
Until we can fully address the causes and overcome the obstruction of some in Congress, we still must meet the needs of our people, especially our young people.
Which is why I am participating in this communal blogging effort on behalf of Feeding America.
Do what you can.
Peace.
If you have the means, please donate to Feeding America using this link. They help hungry kids through their Backpack Program, the Kid's Cafe, and Summer Lunchbox programs. Remember that Ameriprise Financial will match your donation two for one through September 30 -- which means that every dollar you donate results in 21 meals to hungry people.
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