« The Swift Boat Veterans are Back | Main | Pope Calls on Catholic Legislators to Legislate Morality »

March 14, 2007

Mandate Healthy Food at Schools

Cheers to Oregon legislators for taking on the school lunch program in an effort to counter the child obesity epidemic with House Bill 2650. And jeers to the Oregon School Boards Association, which is opposing the effort because its members think they know best about how to feed our kids. If that were true, they certainly would not be serving the food they are today.

Obviously, some teenagers will not eat healthy food. As it is, they are allowed to go off campus at lunch time and eat at McDonald's or wherever. In other words, the personal freedom at lunch time is an incentive for them to make poor food choices. Why would students eat a healthful lunch in the cafeteria when they have that option available to them? They won't. The health cost, however, is far too high to allow this problem to continue. The schools ought to be teaching children how to eat for health, particularly those whose parents aren't teaching them this at home. And personally, I don't see why anyone other than high school seniors ought to be allowed to leave campus at lunch time.

Nearly 60 percent of Oregon adults are overweight or obese, ... and the problem usually starts in childhood. Obesity is associated with diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In addition, … overweight children are burdened with depression and low self-esteem.

If the cafeteria workers lack the knowledge to comply with the mandated nutritional requirements of the bill, then funds should also be allocated to pay for dieticians who can design the meals and be certain they are meeting standards.

While they're at it, the Legislature should work out arrangements with local farmers to obtain locally-grown organic produce as often as possible. This would boost the local organic produce industry and help the kids at the same time.

Posted by Becky at March 14, 2007 09:34 AM