Will Obama invest in children’s health?

Barack Obama can affect whether a child’s life is shortened prematurely by 15 years.

The oft-quoted statistic that one in three children born in 2000 will be diabetic in their lifetime demonstrates we are at a tipping point, both figuratively and literally…on the scales. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 were overweight in 2007. In the late 1970s, that number was only 6.5%. It’s time to act — or start buying stock in the makers of blood-sugar monitors.

Obama doesn’t have to like beets, but he must address our nation’s health crisis by prioritizing school meal programs as integral components of children’s education. The President-Elect’s proposed economic stimulus plans will be all for naught if we aren’t investing dollars in the nourishment of our children.

This is not a bailout of epic proportions; it’s a sound investment that guarantees the greatest returns: healthy children with the best conditions to learn, which is a nourished body.

Fortunately, a piece of federal legislation called the Child Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization that Obama can champion for change. Every four or five years, there is an opportunity for all of those concerned with the health of our nation’s children to evaluate, defend, and improve the federal Child Nutrition Programs.

This is THE legislation that determines what a child eats at school. And considering that more than 30 million children eat a school lunch five days a week, 180 days a year, the federal Child Nutrition Programs are where we can truly make great strides toward a healthier America. The Healthy Schools Campaign project, Fresh Voices for Fresh Choices, wants the President-elect to ensure the 2009 Act will:

• Increase funding for school meals, taking into account rising food costs
• Provide incentives for schools to offer healthier foods and increase access to fresh produce
• Improve nutrition standards for school meals so that the standards align with the most recent dietary guidelines
• Establish standards for food sold in schools outside of the school meals programs, such as foods sold at snack bars and à la carte lines
• Support local wellness policies and nutrition education.

The time is ripe to voice ideas to the new Administration that include support for locally and regionally grown foods in national meal programs. Take five seconds of your time today to click here, and sign the campaign’s petition for healthy school lunches. The petition will be delivered to President-elect Obama to urge him to support reform of the Child Nutrition Act.

Whether you have a child in school or not, feeding America’s children is about investing in our nation’s future. So let’s step up to the plate.
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Tags: Barack Obama, beets, Child Nutrition, farm to school, school lunch