New School Programs That Aim To Combat Childhood Obesity
It was on the first quarter of 2010 when First Lady Michelle Obama announces the ambitious national goal of resolving the epidemic of child obesity in America. The campaign is called “Let’s Move” and it aims to provide schools, families and communities simple tools to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy. Since then, several other healthy campaigns from various sectors followed across all states. And before the year ended, President Obama enacted into law a new nutrition bill – Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010 – that would help improve the quality of foods served in schools.
Another noteworthy event that happened in line with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign was the launching of Fresh Healthy Vending a healthy snacks vending franchise offering where most of the healthy vending machines are placed in schools and in locations where children spend time after school like YMCAs.
Childhood Obesity As A National Security Threat
When First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Let’s Move program she described childhood obesity as a national security threat. “A recent study put the health care cost of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion a year,” Mrs. Obama said. “This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.”
The statement happened at a ceremony at the White House during the launching of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign which was attended by many officials of the President’s cabinet. And on December 2010, a few days before ushering the New Year, a new nutrition bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama to promote better eating habits among children.
Kids’ Healthy Eating May Open Doors to Healthy Careers
ProStart is a national, career-building program for high school students who are interested in culinary arts and restaurant and foodservice management. It offers a two-year career-building program where high school students study in the classroom, participate in mentored work experiences, and test their skills in local and national competitions.
In Maryland, the ProStart curriculum is taught to about 4,500 students in 92 schools. Nationwide, over 83,000 students in 47 states are involved in the program that focuses on front- and back-of-the-house restaurant operations.
“Basic home economics takes a look at food from inside a house,” said LeDeana Wentzel, director of workforce development at RAMEF. “ProStart looks at it from the outside and what you’d look at from a restaurant perspective.” That includes costs associated with individual servings, nutrition and presentation.
Study Shows Parental Influence on Kids’ Diets Is Getting Weak
The outside forces being referred to include friends, schools, area stores and advertisers, among others.
While parents are able to heavily influence children’s healthy eating habits there still needs to be a concerted effort outside the home. One of the positive things that happened before 2010 ended is the signing of the new legislation Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This new law aims to set nutritional standards for all food offered in schools.
Prior Obama’s signing of Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, several states have been passing memorandums that orders school districts to review their existing nutritional guidelines. In the Baltimore area, many schools have been making menu and curriculum changes. In the spring, officials will launch an advertising campaign aimed at countering ads for unhealthy foods called Get Fresh Baltimore.
The epidemic of childhood obesity is hard to ignore. It impacts the lives of our younger generation and may deprive them with better opportunities if we fail to address the issue. Parental influence should not be taken lightly when it comes to kids’ diets. It is absolutely impossible to watch the kids every minute of the day. However, teaching them the value of nutrition and encouraging them to eat nutritious meals and snacks is an important step to give them a good framework.
Fresh Healthy Vending Foods in Schools
According to Philip Brasher on his report yesterday at The Des Moines Register Online, the government wants children to eat nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables although it seems that they are putting the money where it is advice and expected to be. The U.S. Department of Agriculture spent buying the needs for healthy school lunches in a different manner. For every dollar spent, 55 cents went to chicken, beef and cheese and only 23 cents went to fruits and vegetables.
A group of lowa business leaders were stumped by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack when he asked them what was the single food item for schools that the U.S. Department of Agriculture spent the most on, and was answered, mozzarella cheese!
Tips For Kids Staying Healthy in Schools
In today’s hectic schedules among working families in America, it is somewhat inevitable for parents to just give their kids money to buy their own meals in school as opposed to packing healthy lunches and snacks at home. Unfortunately, in many cases, monies are not well spent in healthy food options because the lure of junk foods in vending machines is just around the corner. So how then do we keep our kids healthy in schools if monitoring their food during mealtimes is hugely impossible?
One viable option being looked at recently is the introduction of fresh healthy vending machines in school campuses. We know students are almost always in a rush when they’re in school due to a variety of reasons; and thus, lining up in school cafeterias to get nutritious snacks are likely to take the back seat. This is where vending machines come into the scene. After all, kids still adore fast and convenient service and food access.
Childhood Obesity is an Important Issue in Reducing Health Care Costs
In 2009, a government-sponsored research was publicized with some shocking findings about the relation of increased health care costs to the increased rates of obesity in less than a decade. The study was conducted by researchers at RTI International and funded by the CDC Foundation analyzed data from the 1998 and 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. It was found out that in 1998 the medical costs of obesity in the US were estimated at around 78.5 billion dollars a year, half of which was financed by Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, between 1998 and 2006, the prevalence of obesity in the US went up by 37 per cent.
This and the current data of obesity and health care costs are the main concerns why the new administration is pushing hard to encourage people, particularly children, to start eating healthy foods and engaging in physical activities. Congress has reauthorized the children nutrition act and other sectors are also doing their share in alleviating the growing problem by serving healthier options to people and ramping up the nutritional campaign nationwide—targeting specifically children. There is a loud clamor to stop bleeding on the issue and we cannot afford to see more children being admitted to the hospital due to serious weight-related illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, etc. It’s best to keep in mind that the success in the reduction of obesity cases is critical in reducing national health care costs and working together to achieve this can likewise result to a better economy in the future.
Moms and Dads Favor Thin Kids over Obese Children
How true is it that kids who are in great shape are likely to receive favorable treatment from their parents than those who are overweight? While it is already painful for any person to be bullied for their weight, it is certainly more emotionally draining when parents are the ones showing obvious disregard to their children who are bulky.
Researchers from the University of North Texas in Denton found parents are less willing to help their overweight children buy a car. Adriel Boals and Amanda Kraha, who authored the research published in the journal Obesity, surveyed 379 college students aged 17 to 26 years old of whom 30 percent were male. They found that the students who bought their own cars had a higher average body mass index than those who received assistance from their parents.
Fresh Foods for Packing a Healthy School Lunch
Summer is over and kids are surely excited to go back to school and meet new friends and re-connect with the old ones. But are parents excited and prepared, too? Perhaps, yes if we are only talking about kids’ school supplies and books, but what about dealing with healthy school lunches? Are parents even thinking about packing healthy lunches for kids in the coming school year? Or are we still have some challenges shopping for the right food to go with their new lunch box?
While there has been a lot of news telling parents how schools have been seriously preparing for healthier food options this school year, relying solely on school cafeterias may not give a 100% guarantee that the kids eating healthy. Thus, packing for lunches and snacks are mostly recommended by city officials and even by many school administrators.
Healthy School Lunches for the 2010 School Year
Children are now rushing to schools with their new bags, notebooks, pens and pencils, and books. But what else could be new apart from these usual stuffs they have every school year? Right, never miss reminding them to eat healthy lunches in school cafeterias if packing healthier options is not an option at all.
Ensuring that kids are getting the right nutrients that propel good performance at school should be made mandatory by schools and parents. After all, healthy schools breed healthy minds. This also explains why school districts are strictly implementing a high level of nutrition guidelines to make sure their campus cafeterias are serving the kids all healthy options school nutrition budgets can afford.