Let Your Voice Be Heard

Obesity in children has tripled in the last 20 years. America’s current generation is the first in our history expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Of the children born in the year 2000, one-third to one-half will develop type 2 diabetes. While not entirely to blame, the food our kids are given at school is not helping. Loaded with fat, processed grain, sugar, and salt and nearly absent fresh fruits and vegetables, current menus are anything but nutritious. If parents are trying their hardest at home to feed their children healthfully, does it make sense to undermine those efforts by having only poor options at school? On the flip side, if there is never anything decent for kids to eat at home, why not at least make good food available to them during school lunches? The battle against childhood obesity and chronic disease needs to start somewhere, and it makes sense for it to be at our schools.

The Child Nutrition Act is up for renewal in Congress, and now is the perfect time for an overhaul. A bill has been introduced, the Healthy School Meals Act, H.R. 4870, that would give incentives to schools that offer a plant-based (this means high-fiber) option to students at meal time. Eating high-fiber, naturally low-fat foods is one of the easiest ways to lose weight, and this legislation could be a first step to doing something meaningful in the fight against childhood obesity. To learn more about the bill, or to send your representative an email of support, go to http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/legislative/hsma.cfm.

Or, call Congress today, at 202-224-3121. Ask the operator to direct you to your representative and senators, and tell them you support the Healthy School Meals Act, H.R. 4870.

For five easy steps regarding how you can do even more, go to http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/fivesteps/five_steps.cfm.

Let your voice be heard, whether it be for your kids, grand-kids, your community, or your country. There is no better time than now.

The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.