School nutrition efforts look set to have lasting effect
lunch program, a number of recent government, industry and health
body initiatives could finally lead to US children having better
access to nutritionally sound foods at schools.
"Across the country, we are working with schools, families and communities to prevent and address childhood obesity," said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Tuesday in recognition of the National School Lunch Week.
The week, which was established to acknowledge the vital role schools play in helping US children develop healthy lifestyles through nutrition and exercise, this year follows a string of recent events and legislation designed to make the school environment healthier.
Earlier this week, FoodNavigator-USA reported that five major US food manufacturers have joined an alliance designed to establish voluntary nutrition guidelines for snacks sold in the nation's schools.
As part of the commitment, Kraft Foods, Mars, PepsiCo, Dannon and the Campbell Soup Company said they will reformulate certain products, as well as introduce new lines of healthier snacks for kids.
The initiative - the Alliance for a Healthier Generation - is a joint effort by former President Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association (AHA). Its science-based nutritional guidelines are designed to promote nutrient-rich foods, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and place limits on calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium. The guidelines also promote the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods.
An earlier agreement within the same alliance resulted in major beverage firms including the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Cadbury Schweppes voluntarily agreeing to stop selling high-calorie soft drinks to elementary and middle schools.
In another move, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act required that as of this academic year, every school that participates in the school lunch or school breakfast program- the large majority of US schools- must have had a local wellness policy in place.
The policy, designed to address the problem of childhood obesity, states that schools must set nutrition standards for all foods sold in school, including in vending machines, a la carte lines, and school stores.
Although the wellness policy is not federally regulated and is likely to differ form school to school, it contributes to addressing a loophole that allows the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to set standards for foods sold in the lunchroom, but forbids it from setting standards for foods sold elsewhere on campus.
And according to a survey by the School Nutrition Association's (SNA), the implementation of this policy has already had positive effects. The most widespread change in schools' practices - implemented in three quarters of school districts- involves increasing the availability of healthier beverages in vending machines, said the SNA in August.
Other policies in place among a majority of districts include limiting the fat content of a la carte or vending items (implemented in 67 percent of districts), limiting the hours of operation or availability of vending machines (64 percent), and offering vegetarian options (43 percent).
Changes to school lunches include increased offerings of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods, providing more baked foods instead of deep-fried foods, and placing limits on the fat, sugar and caloric content of foods served.
Furthermore, as of April last year, 28 states had made efforts to restrict sales of competitive foods, or products that are not part of the US Department of Agriculture's school meals programs. The percentage of school districts that reported having a policy that removes carbonated beverages from vending machines is up to 38 percent, from 18 percent last year, and is likely to grow further.
Initiatives at individual schools have also started to take effect. For example, two Chicago public schools, Namaste Charter School and Oscar de Priest Elementary, implemented a salad bar project together with lessons on nutrition, which resulted in the number of children selecting a salad bar item quadrupling within three months.
Other initiatives outside of schools include a report issued this year by two government offices - the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services - that recommends food companies and the Children's Advertising Review Unit of the set nutrition standards for products marketed to kids.
Even leading kids' entertainment brand Nickelodeon in July announced it was to team up with a number of US food firms to roll out new children-friendly fruit and vegetable products featuring some of its popular cartoon characters.
And the US government in recent months proposed that its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutritional program should be revised for the first time in over 25 years in order to better reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. As well as adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains, the proposed revisions would also provide greater amounts of nutrients such as iron, fiber and vitamin E. The new food packages would also provide less saturated fat, cholesterol, total fat and sodium than the current packages.
These are just some of the moves made this year by government and industry in response to a mounting health awareness and the growing realization that coordinated efforts need to be made to stem the rates of childhood obesity in the US.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of children considered to be overweight doubled from 7 percent to 14 percent between 1981 and 2001. And the most recent figures from the American Obesity Association reveal that around 16 percent of US children are currently classed as obese.
