Your School Lunch Program: Flunking or Honor Roll?

Everyday, millions of American children are faced with convoluted choices in the school lunch line. Our children are being tempted by sugary soft drinks, greasy burgers, fries, hot dogs and other fast-food fare offered in the school lunchroom. These foods are loaded with saturated fat and are low in fiber, two factors that help set these kids up for obesity and chronic health problems.

The United States is faced with an epidemic of childhood obesity and type two (adult onset) diabetes. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, one out of every five pre-teen children in the United States is obese. The number of obese adolescents has tripled since 1990. This is an epidemic. For the first time in history, parents may outlive their children because of the health problems associated with obesity including diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer. A recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that up to 60% of children and young adults have early heart disease (clogged arteries) damage. Unfortunately, as a result of poor nutrition and the extra weight they are carrying, more children than ever before are developing these adult diseases and/or are at higher risk for developing them as adults. Needless to say, most of the nation's school lunch program needs to be overhauled.

All hope is not lost, however. A principal at a Midwest high school is pleased to find grades are up, truancy is down, arguments are far and few between, and teachers are happier because children want to learn. The principal at this high school has filed annual reports with the state officials every year since they initiated the healthy school lunch program and has turned in some staggering figures. Dropouts? Students expelled? Students discovered using drugs? Suicide? Weapons in the school? Each category has turned in a score of ZERO every year for the past 5 years! Does this sound like a fairy tale? Well believe it or not, it’s happening in some schools across America.

In fact, the amazing student figures listed above are from Appleton Central High School in Wisconsin. What's going on in Appleton High School? Well for starters, the hallways aren't lit up with lights from soft drink and junk food vending machines. When you walk in to check out the school cafeteria, you won't smell burgers or french fries in the air. These all-American foods have been replaced with meals prepared the old fashioned way. Salads, whole grains, and leaner cuts of meat, often with alternative sources of protein like beans, are finding their way on to the lunch plates. Surprisingly, the kids in these schools and their teachers love it.

According to the Nutritional Resource Foundation, outcomes of the Appleton High School Wellness and Nutrition Program included, "increased ability to concentrate in the school setting, more on task-behavior, increased cognitive development, ability to think more clearly, objectively, and rationally, and dropouts and expulsions were dramatically reduced." From Wisconsin to California and Florida, similar outcomes are being reported from improved school lunch programs. "These studies show what we have known—that healthy school meals play a critical and positive role in students' development and learning process," said Donna Wittrock, president of the American School Food Service Association (SDA, 2003).

So what can a concerned parent do if their school lunch program is flunking the grade for better health? Well, for starters you can help support the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act. This proposed law will broaden the definition of junk food and help clear up the confusion about what is good or not good for our children to eat during school hours. In addition, it will empower the USDA to stop the sale of junk food anywhere in school. Currently, the federal definition of junk food is too permissive and is narrowly defined as sodas, water ices, chewing gum, and candies made with sugar. Worse than that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can only prohibit the sale of these items during meal times in cafeterias. Vending machines found elsewhere in schools or school stores are allowed to sell these items anytime.

Fast food isn't sold in our schools because it is good for our children; marketers and manufacturers of these products know that children are an easy marketing target. Current school policies are jeopardizing our children's health and academic performance. That's why the surgeon general suggested we should, "prohibit serving foods of minimal nutritional value during mealtimes in school food service areas, including in vending machines."

We need to demand that our children’s health and well being be put before profit. I encourage you to support the efforts of U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and congresswoman Lynn Woolsey in their campaign to pass the Child Nutrition Promotion Act, Please contact your representatives and ask them to support this legislation to expel junk food from school lunch programs across America. Take a proactive role in your community. Contact the Nutritional Resource Foundation, 1926 S 9th St, Manitowoc, WI 54220. Your children’s health scores and academic scores depend on it. For more information on the Appleton, Wisconsin school lunch project contact Natural Ovens at (800) 558-3535.

Resources

Badger, T.A. "Infants, Toddlers Developing Bad Eating Habits, Study
Finds," Associated Press, 26 Oct. 2003.

Deardorff, Julie. "Girth Control Is a Losing Battle for Americans," The
Virginian-Pilot, 13 January 2002.

Horowitz, Janice M. "Personal Time: Your Health," Time, 15 June 1998.

-- Dr. James D. Krystosik

Babysteps to Health

Slow and steady wins the race. When you slowly take off the pounds and stick to an exercise program, you are more likely to keep those pounds from coming back. Look at every pound lost as a small victory in the road to health.
Don't set yourself up for failure; set goals that are attainable. Lofty goals are hard to meet and only leave you frustrated.
Make it easier on yourself--use half the cream and sugar in your coffee. Make small changes that add up to a big defecit but don't leave you feeling like your giving up everything you love.
Reward your success--the right way. We'd all like to celebrate that 5 pound milestone with a hunk of chocolate cake, but consider treating yourself in a different way. Why take five steps forward and then two back?
Keep it interesting. Variety is the spice of life; try new things and new foods. If you eat yourself into boredom, you won't be able to stick to a diet or workout routine.
Small changes for big results. Love eggs? Ditch the yolks. Chicken? Lose the skin and try baking or grilling instead of frying. It all adds up over time.
Keep track of activity. Keeping a log or journal of your workouts not only keeps you honest, it allows you to take a look back and see just how far you've come.
If you must eat sweets, eat dark chocolate because it has many health benefits
Stay away from the scale. When your clothes get looser and your measuments shrink should be proof enough that you are on the right track. Numbers on a scale are just overrated.

When is a Fad Diet a Bad Diet?

Time for a reality check: there is no magic bullet, instant cure, or easy way out. Losing weight is not easy, and many fad diets fall easily into the bad diet category. Be wary of any diet or weight-loss program that:

Promises rapid weight loss. Any weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week is too rapid, unsafe, and is unlikely to stay off.
Promises easy weight loss without exercise or that weight loss can be maintained without lifestyle changes.
Uses miracle or magical foods. No food can melt away fat or undo years of overeating and lack of exercise.
It's basis lies in consuming only one (or a limited number) of foods, encourages consuming certain foods in mass quantities, or calls for specific food combinations.
Relies on undocumented case histories. Testimonials and anecdotes mean nothing if there is no scientific data to back up claims.
Promotes unproven or inauthentic weightloss aids such as herbs, supplements, body wraps, pills, cellulite creams, etc.
Sound too good to be true. Most of the time it's because they are.

Splurge vs. Smart: Dining Out Without Breaking Your Diet

High-calorie, fat-laden, large portioned restaurant meals don't have to be a diet breaker. With some careful reading, you too can enjoy a night out without the guilt of a caloric splurge.

When dining American, be wary of words like buttery, fried, pan-fried, crispy, au gratin, creamed, sauteed, and hollandaise. Look for items that are described as steamed, broiled, grilled, roasted and poached to help cut back on calories and fat.

In the mood for a little Italiano? Sauces created from cream or cheese, such as Alfredo sauce, quickly pack in the fat. Go for sauces that are tomato based, and take half home with you--almost all pasta dishes weigh it at well over a serving or two.

Craving some late-night Chinese? Stay clear of batter-coated, breaded, or deep-fried foods and go for the stir-fry. Plain rice is better than fried, and go easy on the sauces; soy sauce and other Asian sauces tend to have high sodium content.