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School foods blamed for obesity – your chance to vote now!
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image courtesy of Flickr user absolutewade
Fast food, sodas and other sweets are pretty common in schools these days. If the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2009 passes, drastic changes could be coming to a school cafeteria near you. With childhood obesity rates more than tripling in some age groups (see table), school foods are sharing the blame.
This Act would update and improve the nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools. The overall goal is to reduce obesity and related diseases in children.
For any parent, getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a big challenge. When fast food or sweets are an option, most kids will forgo the ‘healthy’ and opt for the treats. Even parents who are very careful at home can’t control the choices their children make in school.
Prominent health groups are showing strong support for the School Lunch Protection Act. Groups such as the American Diabetes Association and American Dietetics Association are encouraging consumers and professionals to show their support. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer nutrition and health advocacy group has asked readers to sign petitions and join the Healthy School Food Brigade in Washington, DC on June 24. Those participating in the Brigade will attend meetings with Members of Congress. While running off to Washington isn’t a possibility for most, everyone has the option show their support by signing the petition.
Addressing the obesity epidemic in the US is going to take addressing it from all sides. How can we change this? Through public education, making better choices at home, and promoting better habits in schools, where many children eat two meals per day. Improving the quality and nutrition of all school foods means fewer empty calories; and that means healthier kids. Hopefully, this will translate into healthier adults.
It’s up to all of us to help make this change, and now is the time to act.
Prevalence of Obesity* Among U.S. Children and Adolescents (Aged 2–19 Years) | ||||
Survey Periods | ||||
NHANES II 1976–1980 | NHANES III 1988–1994 | NHANES 1999–2002 | NHANES 2003–2006 | |
Ages 2 through 5 | 5% | 7.2% | 10.3% | 12.4% |
Ages 6 through 11 | 6.5% | 11.3% | 15.8% | 17.0% |
Ages 12 through 19 | 5% | 10.5% | 16.1% | 17.6% |
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