JUNK FOOD BEGONE!
By: Deborah Cahill
As an educator in various parts of the country, and most recently California, I am amazed at what the students eat for “lunch.” Often times they will not even buy a lunch but instead have chips and other “junk food” as their meals. The number of overweight and even obese students is disconcerting to say the least. As adults we know that one is more likely to gain weight as we grow older. If that is the case, then what lies ahead for these young people? That is why this generation is the first in many to actually have a shorter life expectancy than their parents! I absolutely support cutting out junk food and not having it available on school campuses. An effort needs to be made to deter at the source so much which contributes to health issues. This alone will not do the trick, of course, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
Leading the News
Obama Administration Launches Campaign To Remove Junk Food From Schools.
The AP (2/8, Jackson) reported that the Obama administration “will ask Congress to improve childhood nutrition by ridding school vending machines of sugary snacks and drinks and giving school lunch and breakfast to more kids. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the administration will seek changes when Congress overhauls the Childhood Nutrition Act.” In a speech planned for delivery on Monday but cancelled due to snow, Vilsack “outlined changes that include a push to jettison cookies, cakes, pastries and salty food from school vending machines and cafeteria lines.”
The St. Petersburg Times (2/9, Marshall) reports that a proposed federal bill “is said to include $1 billion in extra money to pay for more of the fruits, vegetables and whole grains that make teenagers cringe. But Republican support is far from certain, and the American Beverage Association told the New York Times it did not support a federal ban” on junk food in schools.
Op-Ed: Obesity Seen As National Security Threat. Retired U.S. Army General Johnnie E. Wilson writes in an op-ed for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2/9) that child obesity “has become so serious in this country that military leaders are viewing the epidemic as a potential threat to our national security.” Wilson adds, “Today, retired admirals and generals are calling on Congress to support at least $1 billion per year in new funding that will help to improve nutrition standards for meals served in school, after school and in child care settings. We are also seeking improved nutrition standards for all competitive foods and beverages sold on school grounds.
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