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@schoolmealsandobesity
Meatless Monday is probably a known thing, now that it has grown in popularity and it really easy for most people to do. Judy Caplan, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a dietitian says that “Meatless monday’s is a really easy way to get the message out and cut out fat”....
I am really interested in starting Meatless Monday's because of it's nutritional value. I had no idea about the environmental benefits of it as well which is a great motivating factor!
The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 was implemented to remedy several problems affecting inadequate nutrition in school meals. The problems affecting school lunches include low amounts and variety of fruits and vegetables with potatoes accounting for one third of vegetable consumption. Also there was high intake of refined grains, excessive sodium intake, 80 % of children consume more saturated fats than required. Lastly children ate on average five hundred more calories from solid fats and sugars. To help remedy these short comings the HHFKA set their guidelines for school lunches in accordance to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
More fruits and vegetables were introduced along with whole grains and less caloric and sodium dense foods. It is known that children consume more than half of their total calories at school lunches. Implementing healthier foods into the meals through the HHFKA is a great opportunity to improve eating habits and knowledge in 92 % of public and private schools around the country.
Of course there are pros and cons of the Act argued. Opponents such as the School Nutrition Association argue that there is now increased food waste, decreased participation in school lunches, problems with meeting guideline requirements for sodium and whole grains, and possible increased operation costs. These seem to be valid concerns however the School Nutrition Association is an organization that has many members that are in the school food production industry. It comes as no surprise that this association wouldn’t want the new guidelines to come into force because it would hurt their business. In response to these concerns the House of Representatives stipulated that after six months of HHFKA guidelines if there was a net loss of revenue, schools could opt out of the Act and continue with its old lunch program.
It saddens me that politics and lobbying from corporations gets in the way of actual change in our schools. Obesity is on the rise and a large contributing factor is the lunches the schools are serving to our kids. We really should be making the welfare of our nation’s youth a priority and not the welfare of the industry that is providing the unhealthy foods. It’s all about politics.
Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1409353
References:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1409353
www.choosingraw.com
This study looks at the problems and impact of malnutrition on the most at risk age group 2 years and under. This study at the best control to help prevent malnutrition while helping children already classified as being undernourished.
Fact: Undernutrition covers a range of disorders including...
Such sobering facts. I definitely agree with you that we need to realize that purchasing and distributing foods is not the issue in some places in the world. They simply just live in food deserts. I hate the thought of small children going hungry and given a challenging life right from the beginning.
When asking a few of my friends some of the reasons why they choose to eat vegetarian, or vegan I got a variety of answers. For some it was for health reasons, some simply just don’t like meat, and for others they felt like it was better for the environment and their health. I happen to know a lot...
I definitely agree that it is better to buy local meats and foods in general! In Missoula the only local meat market that I know of is Diamondback on the corner of Mount and Russel. It would be cool if they advertised a little more or even came out to the farmer's market! Great article!
The International Journal of Obesity published a very interesting study examining the coexistence of obesity, hunger, and limited food group consumption among Mexican-American children. Anthropometric data was collected among children living at the border of Baja California (Mexico) and...
It is so sad to read about these obese and hungry children! It seems like such a paradox that obese children are also the hungry ones. I wonder if the caloric-dense foods are coming from corporations that run farms and produce materials for cakes, donuts, ect, like they are in the United States. Or is the the United States that is providing them with these foods. There needs to be a global change!
Let's Move!
In the National School Lunch Program a provision that allowed students to refuse some of the food offered to them at lunch and breakfast was implemented. Reforms such as this one in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was headed by the First Lady, Michelle Obama and signed into action by President Obama in 2013. This reformation was named SP 45-2013: Updated Offer versus Serve Guidance for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program in School Year 2013-2014 or Offer versus Serve for short. Out of the five required food groups offered, meat/meat alternatives, grains, fruits, vegetables, and fluid milk, only three need to be served. However, it is required that one of the selected foods must be the minimum serving of fruit or a vegetable. The purpose of this is to reduce food waste and to allow students to choose to not take foods they would not eat.
This reform also affects the School Breakfast Program as well. Out of the three food groups required for breakfast, grains, juice/fruit/vegetables, and milk all of them are required to be offered and served. This reform is only enacted for the school year 2013-2014 and will be revised after the term is up to implement new requirements.
The First Lady has gone to great lengths to improve the overall health of today’s youth. Along with the work of many others Mrs. Obama has headed a program called Let’s Move! Passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was the cornerstone of this program. The Let’s Move website describes the goals and aspirations of the program and what it has accomplished so far. Of course there are opponents to this legislation, congressmen and students alike. However I believe that the obesity epidemic among our youth is too great to be ignored and it would be detrimental if this legislation and program was removed. Below is the Let’s Move website.
http://www.letsmove.gov/first-lady-column-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act
References:
http://www.letsmove.gov/first-lady-column-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP45-2013os.pdf
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/12/13/928704/-President-Obama-signs-the-Healthy-Hunger-Free-Kids-Act-of-2010-Into-Law-with-Pics
An online survey conducted by Yale during the years of 2009, 2010, and 2011 reported parents agreeing, 60%, that their children’s epidemic of obesity rests with the parents. Data was gathered from 2,454 parents of children aged 2 to 17 with an average income of $59,000, who had some college...
It is so scary to think of the impact media has on children. At such young ages they are so impressionable and will soak up all of those advertisements. I am starting to see the validity in the arguments of parents who do not allow television in their houses. Great blog and statistics.
Classic Teenagers
Reducing sodium and caloric intake, and increasing whole grains, fruits and vegetables in school lunches seems like a no brainer to me. However, as with anything, there are opponents to the National School Lunch Program reforms across the country. 96% of schools are continuing to participate in the school lunch reforms and 4 % have either dropped out or are contemplating dropping out. Even though 4% does not seem like a large amount it is still approximately 4,000 of the 98,817 public schools that are not following the guidelines. Why is this? One would think that it is a no brainer considering the fact that the United States Department of Agriculture reimburses schools $2.93 dollars for every meal served to a child eligible for free or reduced lunch and are given an extra $.06 per meal served if guidelines are followed. The usual culprit behind opposition of authoritative implementation is…teenagers.
Teenagers, especially in Wisconsin and Kansas, have organized against the school lunches now provided by forming Facebook and twitter groups. They speak out against the portion sizes now being served and claim that it is not enough food and that they are hungry. This is especially a problem for athletes who require a higher caloric meal to compensate for their increased physical activity. To address these concerns the United States Department of Agriculture have increased the cap on protein and whole grains; staples in an athletes’ diet. Also schools that have gradually implemented more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables have had more success with student acceptance of the changes. This is probably because they were not sudden and very noticeable. With these changes the percent of participating schools increased slightly to 95 %. This is a relatively new idea and the new guidelines are cutting across the ingrained dietary options students have had in the past. As with any new change there is opposition and complications. However, in my opinion, the USDA has had great success with implementing these new policies with effective rewards for participating schools. It is the ultimate goal to not have to reward healthy dietary behavior, but to have healthy eating habits be something students want for themselves.
Reference:
http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/29/why-some-schools-are-saying-no-thanks-to-the-school-lunch-program/
THE MIDDLE GROUND.
I never would have guessed that the history of school lunches was connected to the history of the United States military. However the seemingly two totally separate issues are very closely connected in history and in present day. During the early 1800’s school lunches were not mandatory or very well maintained. This all changed when The Great Depression and World War 2 was underway. To stabilize prices, the federal government bought surplus crops from farmers and gave them to schools to utilize in school provided lunches. This was the very beginning of school provided lunches at a very small level. A movement that caused the National School Lunch Program to be formed was a statement from General Hershey’s. He voiced his concern and observations that men were too malnourished to be drafted for World War 2. This led to the start of the National School Lunch Program that” reimbursed schools for each meal served, provided that each meal contained protein, bread, two fruits or vegetables, whole milk, and a pat of butter”.
It looked like school lunches provided by the government were now meeting the nutritional needs of young men who were to be drafted for war. However as time went on, the introduction of vending machines in the 1960’s and a new presidential program set the original goals of the National School Lunch Program back. Now students had very easy access to sodas and candies in the hallways of their schools. Also the Reagan administration cut programs such as the National School Lunch Program by 1/3, effectively reducing the funds available to procure healthy, whole foods. Because of the budget cuts, schools started to purchase less expensive foods that were sold in bulk and that consequently were high in fat and calories and low in beneficial nutrients. This is where we see the start in the rise of childhood obesity due to school lunches.
Today there is a drastic change in the reason men and women aren’t being drafted/allowed into the wars. They are simply too overweight to be considered fit for action. Does it come as a surprise that now the national government is focused on reforming the school meals provided so that children will receive balanced and healthy meals? Now meals must meet certain caloric requirements along with grain, fruits, and vegetable requirements. I doubt that the country will recede back into the days of past malnourishment of our children and I hope that today’s obesity rates among children will decline drastically. We need to find that middle ground.
Reference:
http://www.healthline.com/health/school-lunch-menu-history#2
Starvation is not meeting the daily energy requirements needed for the systems in the body to function properly. People in underdeveloped countries can be more prone to starvation due to certain factors. These factors are mainly due to the environment the people may live in. For instance many...
Great blog Emily. I think it is very important to set up programs that will aid with providing calorie rich foods to pregnant women and children and the elderly since they are at the highest risk for starvation. Even educating these groups on what foods are best to consume to prevent the negative caloric intake would be ideal. It is definitely a problem that needs international attention and help.
What about China?
Obesity in the United States of America is all the rage; but what about obesity in other countries such as China? Just as childhood obesity plagues America it is an issue in China as well. A study conducted by the Medical School of Zhejiang University found that the rates of nutritional deficiencies were 22.5% and the rate of overweight/obese children was 24.6% in a sample of 1230 primary and secondary students. Six pilot schools participated in a study put together by the World Health Organization, the Chinese Ministry of Health, and the Chinese Ministry of Education. A total of 7500 students and 800 teachers and school staff were the target audience of the formation of Health Promoting Schools (HPS). Each of these six pilot schools underwent several health-promotion activities including the following:
School based working groups that planned and coordinated activities at each of their schools. They worked with local experts and bureaus of health and education.
Nutrition training for teachers, health care providers, and cafeteria staff which emphasized healthy balanced diets, the effects of nutritional deficiencies, and hygienic practices.
Nutrition education for students that focused on implementing some sort of nutrition education lesson whether it be in a health class or even a morning discussion in a language or art class. Students learned how to prepare a nutritious lunch meal, organize a television broadcast on nutrition and health related topics, and create websites based on nutrition.
Renovations to school facilities to accommodate the new nutrition programs and policies.
Outreach to family members and the communities to improve education about nutrition.
The results of these programs in these six pilot schools were dramatic. The baseline survey and post program implementation survey conveyed that the education and knowledge of nutrition among all participants increased. Knowledge on dietary guidelines increased from 49.2% to 78% and knowledge about adequate dietary intake increased from 42.9 % to 68%. Also attitude toward nutrition and nutrition behavior increased from the pre to post implementation survey. The study concluded that nutrition can effectively serve as a entry point to establish Health-Promotion Schools and that HPS can effectively improve dietary knowledge, nutrition behaviors and attitudes among students, teachers, cafeteria staff, and parents. As seen below, children learned the value of nutritious meals and got hands on experiences through these programs.
This all seems very similar to the goals and programs implemented in the United States; and it is. Nutritional values and ideals mirror each other across two very different cultures. A fun little fact is that the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education had previously implemented a program that targeted improving hygiene in primary and secondary schools. What was being targeted was the eradication of intestinal helminthes…in other words intestinal parasites. Perhaps that policy is where the cultures deviate in the search for school overall health.
References:
http://heapro.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/4/409.full.pdf+html
https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese+obesity+and+school+lunches&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZDc0VN6QEZCtogSakoLoAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1185&bih=643#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=5Cfs0kqoDBFPTM%253A%3Bk7TvrbZN6NMjhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.washingtonpost.com%252Fblogs%252Fworldviews%252Ffiles%252F2013%252F01%252FJapan_Lunch_091358640787.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.washingtonpost.com%252Fblogs%252Fworldviews%252Fwp%252F2013%252F01%252F28%252Fhow-japans-revolutionary-school-lunches-helped-slow-the-rise-of-child-obesity%252F%3B1000%3B667
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716544/
This article was published in 2010 by the National Institute of Health and describes some of the major problems with acculturation among Latino People in the United States. First, it is important to note that there are close to 44 million...
I did not find the fact that acculturation into "mainstream" American life led to increased sodium diets very surprising. However, the fact that food insecurity can decrease with acculturation did surprise me. Through programs and policies in place in the United States I suppose it might be easier to access foods. It was nice to read a positive aspect that Hispanic-Americans might encounter during a usually negative acculturation process.
School Meals can be Smart Too!
A smart and healthy diet leads to a smart and healthy child. Programs and policies set by state and federal agencies, such as the USDA, work around the clock to increase the nutritional health of provided meals and decrease the obesity rates in children. But how are these programs becoming smarter themselves? In other words, how are the programs being improved to better entice children to eat the healthier options? On August 21st of this year the United States Department of Agriculture announced the approval of $5.7 million dollars to be given as grants to state agencies administering the National School Lunch and Child and Adult Care Food Programs. These agencies are using the grant money to increase the implementation of the program called Smart Lunchroom among schools. This program encourages ideas such as placing fruit and fat free milk in the front of the lunch line in place of cookies and soda. Children often gravitate toward convenience and will grab whatever is easiest. Another idea offered is to rename the foods in interesting and new ways in order to grab the child's attention. Interesting and convenient ways of displaying healthy foods to children is a great way to encourage healthy eating. Also it was found that the entrée listed first on the lunch menu was chosen over subsequent options eleven percent more of the time. Again children responded to the convenience of choosing the first option they read. Research found that there was an increase in consumption of healthy foods of thirty-five percent after implementation of Smarter Lunchroom ideas. The ideas given by the Smart Lunchroom program are easy and quick to implement. The picture below shows an example of how a school lunch line that displays healthy options first looks. The bright fruits and vegetable options look appealing and are easy to access.
These ideas can even be used at home! Instead of the pudding snacks being the first thing your eyes see and fingers touch, replace it with a yogurt or fruit option that is just as easy and delicious to eat. Below is the link to the Smarter Lunchroom website which gives more fantastic ideas on how to make the layout of meals children eat, smarter.
http://smarterlunchrooms.org/ideas
Resources:
http://smarterlunchrooms.org/resources
https://www.google.com/search?q=smarter+lunchrooms&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=g80pVKSzK8KsjALSgoDgBw&ved=0CAsQ_AUoBA&biw=1680&bih=904#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=bYMq2zLclpfiEM%253A%3B9e6kLVZ6f7l5AM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffoodpsychology.cornell.edu%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252F6238070477_4f587b92f7.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffoodpsychology.cornell.edu%252Fcontent%252Fsmarter-lunchrooms%3B500%3B331
http://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2014/fns-000614
Lunches with a Low Income
It does not come as any surprise that school provided meals are under a lot of scrutiny because of their nutritional impacts on children. Pizzas, hamburgers, french fries, and a collection of different sweets frequented those school meal calendars that were sent home with students at the beginning of each month. The mothers and fathers who are lucky enough to have the time and income to send their children to school with packed "cold" lunches did not have to worry about the impacts the school served lunches had on their children. But what about those families that could not afford to grocery shop for lunch supplies every week or simply did not have the time? There is a considerable link between childhood obesity and low income. A study carried out by Bridging the Gap, a nationally recognized research organization, showed that children who used the free or reduced-price lunches tended to be more obese than children from middle or upper class families who packed their own lunches. So what can be done to ensure children eating the "hot" lunches received adequate nutritional meals? States that set in place strong nutritional standards for school lunch programs have seen a drop in obesity rates among the low income children population. It was found that 26% of children who eat school meals provided by a program with weak nutritional standards were obese. A 5% decrease to a 21% rate in obesity was observed in states that implemented strong nutritional standards. These standards included specific amounts of fruit, vegetable, and whole grains that were to be provided in every meal. Also low fat dairy products replaced 2% and whole milk. The study concluded that low income families who lived in states with weak nutritional standards regarding school meals were more likely to have higher obesity rates than families who lived in a state with strong nutritional standards. It is the hope to see a change in the nutritional standards of school meals across the country. Below is a link to the website with more information and an interview with the co-investigator of Bridging the Gap regarding this study.
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/04/school-meal-standards-may-help-reduce-obesity.html
