The school lunch programs are only proving to exasperate the declining health of Americans at their formative years. A study of more than 1,000 sixth graders in several southeastern Michigan schools found that those who regularly had school lunches were 29% more likely to be obese than those who brought their lunch. Of all the obese preteens whom dietary information was known, almost half were school lunch regulars (Rabin 2011). In a study by Eagle, et al (2010) a director of the university of Michigan Cadiovascular Center, he informs us that most school lunches are made up of very low nutrient value foods that are high energy because they are less expensive.
Solutions are being implemented according to the Department of Agriculture. There was a federal law passed in December of 2010 limiting the number of calories served at every school meal. Programs were also required to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables- not just corn and potatoes.
What are you seeing served at your children’s schools? Have you seen improvements over the past few years?Are you satisfied?
References
Beni Canani, R., DiCostanzo, M., Leone, L., Bedogni, G., Brambillia, P., Clanfarani, S., Nobill, V., Pietrobelli, A., & Agostoni, C. (2011). Epigenetic mechanisms elicited by nutrition in early life. Nutrition Research Reviews, 24(2), 198-205.
Eagle, T.F., Gurm, R., Goldberg, C.S., DuRussel-Weston, J., Kline-Rogers, E., Palma-Davis, L.,
Aaronson, S., Fitzgerald, C.M., Mitchell, L.R., Rogers, B., Bruenger, P., Jackson, E.A., Eagle, K.A., & Arbor, A. (2010). Health status and behavior among middle-school children in a midwest community: What are the underpinnings of childhood obesity? American Heart Journal, 160 (6), 1185-1189
Rabin, R.C. (2011) Childhood: Obesity and School Lunches. The New York Times, D6
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