School Lunches?

[spotty_dog]

I don't know a lot about the policy in general. The way it's implemented at our elementary school, it sounds like they are aiming for calories to average 649 per day and fat grams to average 27.99. The plan is to increase fruits and vegetables by requiring 1/2 cup of fruit OR vegetable to be taken. They're targeting increased whole grain, zero trans fat, specific levels of protein, and reduced sodium. There is always a salad bar available, and seconds for about 60% full price. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

[PrincessFiona]

Our elementary school is doing that too. It's definitely more reasonable.

[BonBon]

Honestly, it's shoddy research and gov't push for "fats are bad" and subsidizing corn, wheat, and soy that's propelled us into the obesity mess. Food has become a huge industry; look at all the space that's dedicated to grocery shelves for processed foods that bear no resemblence to their origin. Look at how many times gov't has changed their "healthy eating" guidelines. They have no clue what they're even talking about.

My kids' school has decided this year to start issuing 2 slices of bread with lunch. So even if lunch is a starch-filled, low-nutrient (I don't count what's been "enriched" as nutritious) pasta dish, they get bread. TWO SLICES! MORE enriched garbage that can spike their blood sugar. (not to mention that two of my kids are sensitive to gluten)

[niener]

It's actually 600 calories not 800.

The real question is how free do we want to be as a country? Should we have the freedom to buy nutritionless shite if we want? Or overeat and be fat?


Will we start heavily regulating all activities that could present a health issue or just the ones that make us fat? Obesity does seem to be one of the last things that it is acceptable to be predjudiced over. :/

Obesity is costly, and not just to the person who is obese. It's costly to us as tax payers and it's costly to us as health insurance holders, and based on the discussion going on in the Physician Quality Ratings debate it sounds like it's going to be quite costly to physicians as well. I think as long as that remains true, there will be and should be regulations and guidelines that help people make better choices and encourages preventative health measures. And I'd apply that as a fairly blanket statement for any generally preventable health condition, not just obesity. If one is free to eat all the crap they want, why is another not free to not help pay for that person's medical treatment? But I don't think restricting school lunches to 600 calories is going to get us there; not even close. For one, that's not a very realistic goal for growing, pubescent boys (and some girls), and two, 600 empty/poor calories are still 600 empty/poor calories. Food education in this country needs a total overhaul.

[PrincessFiona]

Obesity is a risk for health conditions ... I can definitely agree on that and the fact that it is costly.

Should we also ban alcohol, bungee jumping, 4-wheeling, skiiing, driving a car and all other risky behaviors? Perhaps students shouldn't be allowed to play football (hello injuries) or engage in competitive dance, gymnastics and cheerleading either because of the risk of not only orthopedic injury during, but also wear and tear to the joints etc that cause problems later.

Frankly, I say we start by banning cigarettes...but I'm just a voter, so I don't get a say! LOL

There are so many things that we collectively pay for each other when it comes to health care. I'm overweight and my neighbor might pay for that with his premiums, but he smokes so we're more than even. Again, I'm overweight ... but my 70 year old neighbor just had her hip replaced (she has had multiple injuries) and was back on the four-wheeler within 6 weeks. I kid you not!!! I know that I have increased costs because other people engage in risky behaviors like unprotected sex with multiple partners, drug abuse, smoking or sports with high risks for injury. I accept that it's a part of the human condition to be imperfect and that it comes with some costs that we all carry.

It just doesn't seem to make sense to pick on one thing.

[MsSassyBaskets]

It's actually 600 calories not 800.

The real question is how free do we want to be as a country? Should we have the freedom to buy nutritionless shite if we want? Or overeat and be fat?


Will we start heavily regulating all activities that could present a health issue or just the ones that make us fat? Obesity does seem to be one of the last things that it is acceptable to be predjudiced over. :/

I think there's a really big difference between allowing adults to choose whatever unhealthy shit they want to eat, and doing the same for children. No, I don't believe children should be given the "freedom" to buy nutritionless shit. That's not freedom, that's bad education. Parents may have the "freedom" to send their kids to school with total crap, but then it's not your tax dollars at work. That said, limiting kids to 600 or 800 calories of crap for lunch is idiotic. They should have free range of all the healthy food they want and need.

AND, although adults should be allowed to buy whatever the heck they want, the government shouldn't be subsidizing the shit and not the healthy stuff. At least make it a fair game.

[niener]

Frankly, I say we start by banning cigarettes.

I'm okay with that LOL

Many risk-inherent activities do have some regulations associated with them -- drunk driving laws, helmet laws, seatbelt laws -- so I guess these sort of 600 calorie restrictions are the government's attempt at making seatbelt laws for food.

[PrincessFiona]

I am the one who imposes food regulations on my child though, not the govt. None of my 5 children are overweight. I have a 16 year old who struggled with anorexia though and the school cracking down on her calories isnt a good thing. I have a 17 year old who is physically active and needs the calories. I have an 8 year old who isnt even on the charts for his weight.

How can the govt. legislate what's best for my child?

[Thirteen]

I think BonBon makes some excellent points.

Also, our school lunch offerings were total and complete crap.
You couldn't have open campus unless you could drive, because nothing was in walking distance. Additionally, snack and soda vending machines were in every wing of my junior high and high school. I knew kids that ate pop tarts and mountain dew for breakfast, daily.

Maybe we could start there? Eliminate vending machines, and not rely so heavily on processed, grain-heavy offerings.


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[PrincessFiona]

I really agree with that approach. Our schools also have/had vending machines and an ala carte menu that was crazy until this year. I used to complain about that too. Lol. I guess they can't win when it comes to me.

[diggitydot]

I truly don't know what the answer should be to this.

I think that we have a ridiculously fucked up food system in our country that encourages super shitty choices. Ending farm subsidies is a taboo subject to every politician, even though the vast majority of the subsidies that were initially intended to keep people from losing their family farms and livelihoods go instead to giant agribusinesses who push those super shitty processed foods. I think our society has a pretty fucked up relationship with food that manifests itself in an out-of-control obesity epidemic where we feel compelled to handhold and babysit each other's caloric intake.

I don't think making kids feel shitty about food (either having too much or too little) is the answer. I don't know what the answer is, but it's not THAT.

[houseelf]

Did anyone read this article? http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2...udy-finds?lite

It is the lack of recess, gym, and walkability to school. The vast majority of kids simply aren't moving their bodies enough. IMHO, this is a far bigger problem than diet. Sure the average American diet needs tweaking, but most culture's average diet does.

ETA crabby commentary: We Americans tend to think in all or nothing approaches. You don't have to complete an Iron man to be healthy. Remove one snack or high calorie beverage per day and walk for 45 minutes a day. If every American did this, we would save billions in health care cost. /crotchety rant over.

[SuzySunshine]

I don't have a pony in this ring but are they giving elementary school kids the SAME calories as a high school football lineman who has to go to an athletic practice after school?? That makes NO sense, obesity issue or not!

[scrub-jay]

For reference, my hs didn't have a cafeteria at all (with approx. 700 or so students) and the only options if you didn't have a car were: vending machines, pizza, soda, or two gas stations w/in walking distance. And that was IT. You ate on the quad or in a class somewhere. Back then, we formed a student org and changed up the vending machines to healthier options and made them sell fruit w/the pizza option. There were NO healthy options on campus at all. None.