School Nutrition Changes Being Implemented
All the research is finally paying off in dividends. More and more Americans are realizing that what they eat plays a major role in how long they will live. Recent research is already predicting dire straits for the baby boomers. A generation of consuming junk food is doubling and quadrupling their numbers with type II diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s Disease and many more. Knee and hip surgeries are on a steep incline, and heart stents are forcing health care costs through the roof along with by pass surgery. The trouble is that many of these surgical fixes are a "Band-aid" on an ever growing problem related to poor dietary habits.
As a young man, I often helped my father replace the old galvanized steel pipes in our homes. That was an ugly sight -- rust accumulating on the inside of the pipe would decrease the flow of water until there was only a trickle. It’s happening in our bodies and repairing one clogged site does not really solve the problem. The next clogged site could be fatal in the arteries of a human. So many strokes due to blood clots are taking down people in their thirties, forties and fifties and doctors are not immune to this problem. Too many banquets with prime rib can exacerbate the problem. Now dieticians are beginning to take the matter seriously, especially at the beginning of the problem - the school cafeteria.
A recent survey of food service directors is finding that french fries are decreasing in popularity and interest in carrots is skyrocketing among schoolchildren.
As choices on the lunch line change, many children are accepting them, said Martha Conklin, an associate professor at Penn State University who conducts research about school nutrition programs and school food service. "If you present these healthy offerings to children, they may turn them down the first time, but you can’t give up," she said. "Children will adapt. Choice is important but they can make those selections from healthy offerings.
The School Nutrition Association’s annual survey given to food service directors around the country shows that result. Amongst students in kindergarten through 12th grade, french fries dropped in popularity from 1998 to 2006 while carrots and fresh vegetables rose in popularity. According to Amy Winterfield, a health policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures, more states are enacting nutrition standards to ensure healthy food and beverage options are available to students. A 2004 wellness program requires school districts receiving federal reimbursements for school meal programs to develop policies that promote the health of students and address the growing problem of childhood obesity.
In 2005, at least 17 states enacted some form of school nutrition legislation and at least 11 more approved them last year. In New Jersey, for example, a law requires that by next fall, snacks and a la carte items sold or served contain no more than eight grams of total fat per serving and two grams of saturated fat per serving. Candy is banned and so are foods and beverages with sugar as the major ingredient. "The leading health authorities are all recommending that schools take an active role in this area of nutrition to prevent disabling chronic health conditions," said Emma Davis-Kovacs, acting state director for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s division of food and nutrition.
The Spring 2007, Issue 2 of the "Food Beacon" is serious about changing the poor dietary habits of Americans. Joan Pedlow, RN, RD, the Food Bank’s dietician, is working tirelessly to educate agency representatives and their clients regarding healthy eating. They are offering programs like "Kids in the Kitchen" with children from Western New York coming to learn about cooking and healthy eating. They get a chance to understand how their eating habits affect their health and learn how to prepare simple snacks and meals and how to choose foods wisely.
The Food Bank’s vision of providing nutritional food, training and education options to their agencies and their clients empowers them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Since October 2003, I have continued research and reporting to help "Make Eating a Lifestyle Change" and now that the fuse is lit and the results are coming in from all over the country - I can be sure that I am not a voice in the wilderness.
Children grow and learn by watching and listening to their parents and leaders in the community, but they are most impressed with role models. This is no longer a matter of asking kids, "What are we going to eat tonight?" You are the adult and they look up to you. Your wisdom and the attention you give to helping them to grow up healthy and strong is one of the best contributions you can make as a parent.
As a young man in eighth grade, we were told about a government oversight into matters of "Health, Education and Welfare," and many of us asked which of these was the most important. I remember Mrs. Bone (our eighth grade teacher) responding, "In that order, because without health you can have none of the others." Since then they have changed the name of the agency, but it doesn’t change what Mrs. Bone said. Your productivity as a citizen, a head of a family, or an employee rests upon your ability to stay healthy by knowing what works best in developing a strong body capable of performing the many tasks and responsibilities in your life. The strength of this country depends on it.
It is only right and proper that I give credit to the President and CEO of the Food Bank of WNY, Clem Eckert, for a very informative article and the courage to confront head-on, the problems related to the improper dietary habits of the American people.
As a young man, I often helped my father replace the old galvanized steel pipes in our homes. That was an ugly sight -- rust accumulating on the inside of the pipe would decrease the flow of water until there was only a trickle. It’s happening in our bodies and repairing one clogged site does not really solve the problem. The next clogged site could be fatal in the arteries of a human. So many strokes due to blood clots are taking down people in their thirties, forties and fifties and doctors are not immune to this problem. Too many banquets with prime rib can exacerbate the problem. Now dieticians are beginning to take the matter seriously, especially at the beginning of the problem - the school cafeteria.
A recent survey of food service directors is finding that french fries are decreasing in popularity and interest in carrots is skyrocketing among schoolchildren.
As choices on the lunch line change, many children are accepting them, said Martha Conklin, an associate professor at Penn State University who conducts research about school nutrition programs and school food service. "If you present these healthy offerings to children, they may turn them down the first time, but you can’t give up," she said. "Children will adapt. Choice is important but they can make those selections from healthy offerings.
The School Nutrition Association’s annual survey given to food service directors around the country shows that result. Amongst students in kindergarten through 12th grade, french fries dropped in popularity from 1998 to 2006 while carrots and fresh vegetables rose in popularity. According to Amy Winterfield, a health policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures, more states are enacting nutrition standards to ensure healthy food and beverage options are available to students. A 2004 wellness program requires school districts receiving federal reimbursements for school meal programs to develop policies that promote the health of students and address the growing problem of childhood obesity.
In 2005, at least 17 states enacted some form of school nutrition legislation and at least 11 more approved them last year. In New Jersey, for example, a law requires that by next fall, snacks and a la carte items sold or served contain no more than eight grams of total fat per serving and two grams of saturated fat per serving. Candy is banned and so are foods and beverages with sugar as the major ingredient. "The leading health authorities are all recommending that schools take an active role in this area of nutrition to prevent disabling chronic health conditions," said Emma Davis-Kovacs, acting state director for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s division of food and nutrition.
The Spring 2007, Issue 2 of the "Food Beacon" is serious about changing the poor dietary habits of Americans. Joan Pedlow, RN, RD, the Food Bank’s dietician, is working tirelessly to educate agency representatives and their clients regarding healthy eating. They are offering programs like "Kids in the Kitchen" with children from Western New York coming to learn about cooking and healthy eating. They get a chance to understand how their eating habits affect their health and learn how to prepare simple snacks and meals and how to choose foods wisely.
The Food Bank’s vision of providing nutritional food, training and education options to their agencies and their clients empowers them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Since October 2003, I have continued research and reporting to help "Make Eating a Lifestyle Change" and now that the fuse is lit and the results are coming in from all over the country - I can be sure that I am not a voice in the wilderness.
Children grow and learn by watching and listening to their parents and leaders in the community, but they are most impressed with role models. This is no longer a matter of asking kids, "What are we going to eat tonight?" You are the adult and they look up to you. Your wisdom and the attention you give to helping them to grow up healthy and strong is one of the best contributions you can make as a parent.
As a young man in eighth grade, we were told about a government oversight into matters of "Health, Education and Welfare," and many of us asked which of these was the most important. I remember Mrs. Bone (our eighth grade teacher) responding, "In that order, because without health you can have none of the others." Since then they have changed the name of the agency, but it doesn’t change what Mrs. Bone said. Your productivity as a citizen, a head of a family, or an employee rests upon your ability to stay healthy by knowing what works best in developing a strong body capable of performing the many tasks and responsibilities in your life. The strength of this country depends on it.
It is only right and proper that I give credit to the President and CEO of the Food Bank of WNY, Clem Eckert, for a very informative article and the courage to confront head-on, the problems related to the improper dietary habits of the American people.
posted by Stan Kent at
1:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home