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by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.
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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Physician Group Terms School Lunch Programs "Weapons of Mass Destruction!"

Tuesday April 15, 2003

In the USA, known throughout the world as the only Superpower, between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. How are we going to muscle the rest of the world in the years ahead if this trend continues? Of course, there might be better reasons to address the problem of fat kids. For instance, the annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are likely to stay that way into adulthood unless something happens to convince them to adopt (not so hard) and sustain (very challenging) healthier patterns of eating and exercise -- and maybe even wellness lifestyles.

Multiple factors account for youthful obesity, too numerous to list. Just the same, let me list a few of them:

poor eating habits,
overeating or binging,
lack of exercise (in other words, couch potato kids),
a family history of obesity,
medical illnesses (endocrine, neurological problems),
medications (steroids, some psychiatric medications),
stressful life events or changes (separations, divorce, moves, deaths, abuse),
family and peer problems, and
low self-esteem, depression and other emotional problems.

There are other contributing factors, such as school lunch programs. You might recall my earlier rant about these pernicious hazards in an essay entitled "The Need to Take Back the Schools -- From Those Who Prey on The Health of Children" . Lately, these abominable offerings have become a special target for nutritional reformers, especially at the national level. Have you heard about an organization called The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM?) This doctor group has taken a lead role in nationwide efforts to reform the quality of food service in the nation's schools. Seeking healthier menus, such as more vegetarian choices, the physicians group has singled out the scandalous conduct of politicians who use the federal school lunch program to curry favor with the meat and dairy industries. In doing so, these politicians contribute mightily to the childhood obesity epidemic. Now, parent groups and other consumer/health interests want the attractive subsidies for high fat diets ended. The PCRM has sponsored a national campaign labeling school lunches as "Weapons of Mass Destruction." The campaign seeks four basic changes in federal food subsidy programs:

Ensure that all schools serve at least one hot vegetarian meal daily and have hot vegan meals available to children who request them.
Require that all schools offer low-fat vegetables and fresh or dried fruits at every meal.
Require that all schools offer calcium-rich, non-dairy beverages such as calcium-fortified juice, soymilk, or rice milk daily as a milk alternate, regardless of whether a student proves lactose intolerance or shows another medical, religious or dietary need.
Restructure the commodities program to halt the practice of using school lunch purchases to promote beef, cheese, pork, and other high-fat, high-cholesterol foods and, instead, to favor fruits and vegetables.

Under existing programs, the Secretary of Agriculture must favor beef, pork, and other high-protein foods over healthier items when purchasing surplus commodities for federal feeding programs due to federal policy guidelines. In 2001, the USDA spent $350 million on surplus beef and cheese. This is more than twice the amount spent on fruits and vegetables. In addition, certain food items such as soymilk and other dairy alternatives that would be helpful for some students (many African, Hispanic, Native and Asian Americans are lactose intolerant) are not permitted. An exception is allowed for students whose parents provide a doctor's note attesting to an inability to digest cow's milk.

Amy Lanou, a director of nutrition for the PCRM, made the following statement before a recent Senate hearing: "It's time USDA officials put children's health before the profit motives of their friends in the meat and dairy industries. Purchasing hundreds of millions of pounds of cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets and hot dogs a year may boost industry's bottom line, but it's doing nothing for children's health." The PCRM also noted the coincidence in the fact that a number of top USDA officials are former meat and dairy lobbyists or employees.

Founded in 1985, the PCRM is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, with a focus on the wellness skill area of nutrition. The group also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation and promotes alternatives to animal research. For more information on the PCRM campaign, call 202-686-2210 or visit their website.

Meanwhile, check out the school lunch fare at your own local schools, if interested in this issue, and try to look on the bright side of life.

Domain: physical
Subdomain: nutrition

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