Well, no, not exactly. But the Republican controlled House of Representatives did bring a whole new meaning to the phrase “you say tomato…”
As we’re sitting down with family and friends this week, we are thankful for so much – including a delicious Thanksgiving meal. For many in Wisconsin, meals that are both healthy and filling are far too difficult to come by these days. This point is considered further in the following post.
Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released proposals –based on recommendations by the Institute of Medicine – which would limit the amount of starchy foods and sodium, and would increase the amount of whole grains and vegetables served to children in schools. Last week, the food industry declared a big win when Congress blocked the new proposals and voted to allow tomato paste on pizza to be counted as a vegetable, among other proposed changes. In a time when children need healthy meals the most, pizza and French fries are two of the unhealthy foods offered in school lunch lines that the proposed guidelines would have limited. Are starchy and salty foods on school menus a threat to Wisconsin’s health? We certainly think so. Families in poverty (13% of Wisconsin residents and 19% of children in Wisconsin) rely much more heavily on school meals, and their children are more likely to be obese or overweight. Contributing to the problem is inadequate access to healthy fruit, veggies and whole grains. Families that live either in inner city areas or rural areas are more likely to be caught in food “deserts”, defined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as “areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.”
Children in poverty are more likely to be facing food insecurity and decreased access to healthy foods, putting them at risk of adverse health outcomes. The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly “food stamps” – is an entitlement program meant to ensure that children and families receive the nutrition necessary to remain healthy and promote healthy growth and development. However, a recent study shows that SNAP benefits aren’t suficient for many families to actually afford the items recommended by the Thrifty Food Plan (i.e., the recommended food purchases by U.S. Department of Agriculture, which are low cost and nutritious). Although an increase in maximum benefits by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 brought SNAP recipients closer to being able to afford items recommended on the Thrifty Food Plan, the study shows the shortfall is still prevalent. One factor contributing to these findings is that many people living in food desert areas rely on “corner stores” for a significant portion of their food shopping. These small stores are likely to lack fresh produce and to be much more expensive than larger, more robust grocery stores.
By allowing children to be served high-fat, high-sodium foods (e.g., pizza and French fries), Wisconsin’s healthcare system will also suffer. The Department of Health Services (DHS) estimates that the yearly cost of obesity-related medical expenses in our state is more than $1.5 billion. This is, in part, because high sodium intake increases the likelihood that an individual will suffer from a chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease, or hypertension. Children who are obese at ages 2 to 4 are up to 40% more likely to be obese in adulthood. Furthermore, 60% of obese adolescents will face the same fate.
On average, children receive 50 percent of their daily calorie intake from schools, making reform in what we serve our children increasingly important. With more children and families living in poverty, the need for school lunches – for some children, the only meal that they are guaranteed – to be healthy is vital. In Wisconsin, the changes in acceptable vegetables and decrease in sodium are imperative, as one in four of children are overweight or obese by the time they reach high school. The numbers are greater (37%) in the Milwaukee area where kids are more likely to be facing food insecurity and poor diet than in other parts of the state – one out of two children in this area are living in poverty.
Consequently, with new research showing the low probability of SNAP recipients receiving all of the nutrition that they need, and with 20% of Wisconsin families with children reporting food hardship, the need to provide children with nutritious school meals is critically important. Unemployment remains high in Wisconsin, and the state’s food stamp participation level has increased by 9% – with areas like Milwaukee seeing their highest ever participation rates. In light of those facts, as well as the adverse health outcomes associated with poor diet, we need to protect children from unhealthy school meals.
Lacy Langbecker
