The USDA Proposes New Guidelines to Make School Lunches Healthier

It's no secret there is a childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S. Statistics from 2007-2008 indicate that about 16.9% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years are obese and the prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase.[1] Yet, many of us are still surprised when we see the numbers. What is being done about this? Do we know why obesity persists? There are several theories ranging from increased sugary drink consumption to bad eating habits to an overall lack of education, access to healthy foods, and supervision. It very well may be a combination of all of the above.

So what is being done? In an effort to fight childhood obesity, the USDA announced January 13 new proposed guidelines to make school lunches healthier. These would be the first changes in 15 years and would include cutting salt and fat and adding more fruits and veggies to cafeteria selections. Under the proposed new guidelines[2]:

• School meals would have calorie limits.
• Salt would be cut by half over 10 years.
• Most trans fats would be banned.
• More fruits and vegetables would be included in each meal.
• Only low-fat or nonfat milk would be served.
• Meals would see increases in the amount of whole grains and eventually will include only whole grains.
• Breakfast would include both grain and protein, not one or the other.

For more information about the proposed guideline changes for school lunches, read the HealthDay article "U.S. Aims to Make School Lunches Healthier" here.

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References
[1] Ogden, C., PhD & Carroll, M., M.S.P.H. Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, Trends 1963-1965 Through 2007-2008. Web. Accessed online 1/14/11 at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_child_07_08/obesity_child_07_08.htm
[2] HealthDay. (2011). U.S. Aims to Make School Lunches Healthier. Web. Accessed 1/14/11 at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_107653.html

Education About Healthy Lifestyle Important In Fight Against Obesity

Earlier this year, President Obama produced a report with more than 70 recommendations for strategies to help reduce childhood obesity. The goal of this initiative is to reduce the childhood obesity rate from 20% to 5% by 2030.

"According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," the American Botanical Council HerbClip News reports, "two-thirds of U.S. adults and 15% of U.S. children are overweight or obese, which places them at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. [Note: The percentage of overweight and obese children may be higher, with other sources saying 20-30%.] "

To help combat these numbers, Obama's report focuses on prevention, including prenatal care, breast-feeding, community education, and providing healthy food and nutrition education at schools. The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity is leading these efforts.

"Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, botanical and supplement companies and organizations, and health food companies have a wonderful opportunity to participate in this initiative, " ABC's Managing Editor Lori Glenn adds. "While much of the focus has been on botanicals' abilities to decrease obesity and its subsequent ailments (See the FasTrak HC 051031-401 which covers green tea's benefits of reducing obesity and diabetes), providing proven ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight can also be a core message."

To read ABC's original article, go to: http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/401/news140.html

To learn more about nutrition education, check out the ACHS Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting and to help support the health and wellness of you and your family, check out Introduction to Nutrition.