School Lunch Makeover Aims to Reduce Obesity

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed new rules for school meals in an attempt to improve nutrition standards for the first time in 15 years.

About 25 million children and adolescents are overweight or obese, putting them at risk to developing type 2 diabetes and other health problems.

Among the changes: fewer potatoes, peas, corn and other starchy vegetables, more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, less sodium, and fat free or 1 percent milk (though apparently schools can still serve chocolate or strawberry fat free milk). 

In the last several years, the took steps to overhaul its menus, taking away such items as "doughnuts" once offered for breakfast, and offering more fresh fruits and vegetables.

The grassroots Decatur Farm to School initiative, which works with the city's schools and the community to integrate gardens and local farm produce into the curriculum, has helped to push some of these recent changes.

School systems, including Decatur and DeKalb County, in this Patch will be facing implementation of the USDA proposed rules after the public comment period ends on April 13. The rule does not need congressional approval. 

When the regulation is final, schools will be required to meet the guidelines to get government reimbursement on school meals. 

Patch asked Cynthia Searcy, a Georgia State University assistant professor and obesity expert in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, to weigh in on the new USDA proposal.

Q: Explain how the new USDA guidelines may make a dent with childhood obesity.

Since many children consume up to half their daily calories at school, guidelines in place to encourage eating healthy foods at school could decrease rates of obesity among children.

Q: What is wrong with school lunches today?

The latest assessment of a nationally representative sample of schools found that school lunches, on average, have slightly higher than recommended energy from fat and saturated fat. Likewise, children who eat school lunch report consuming excessive levels of sodium in higher proportions than children who do not eat school lunch. 

Q: Why are these new guidelines important?

The guidelines recognize that schools have an important role to play in the quality of food children consume daily by potentially adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat milk to children's diets. The guidelines have not been revised in 15 years, a period when childhood obesity has nearly doubled. The proposed guidelines set new limits on levels of saturated fat, sodium, calories and trans fats in school meals. It's important to note, however, that these guidelines only pertain to meals offered through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. It does not include foods offered in school cafeterias in a la carte lines for things like salads, pizza and sandwiches. It also does not regulate foods sold in vending machines or school stores. Most importantly, children consume more daily calories away from school - at home or elsewhere - which are controlled by parents or children themselves.   

Q: Why are so many children obese in the U.S. versus other countries?

There is no clear answer to this question. Weight is managed through both eating and exercise. The surplus of calories that led to excess weight in the U.S. could be from the types of foods children eat, less physical activity than their international peers, or some combination of both.  

Q: Where will we be in 10-15 years from now? 

The new "Healthy People 2020" guidelines set a modest target of 10 percent reduction in childhood obesity over the next decade.

Q: Will this measure help cut down on obesity in children and therefore adults as these kids grow old?

The reduction in childhood obesity over the next decade implies that obesity among children ages 2 to 19 will be reduced from 16.2 percent today to 14.6 percent in 2020. Implications for adult obesity are not clear. More than half of the adults who are obese now were not obese children. This implies that factors beyond the reach of schools contribute to being overweight in the U.S.

Q: What are some other things schools can do to improve their school lunch menus beyond what USDA guidelines are changing?

Schools should also evaluate the types of foods that children can buy in a la carte cafeteria lines, vending machines and school stores that are not regulated by the USDA. Many schools offer these items to appease student food preferences and to keep their meal programs financially solvent. Schools should also ask concerned parents to help find ways to offer appetizing, healthy foods that are difficult for schools to implement themselves because of limited kitchen facilities and the cost of cafeteria labor.  

Q: Why does it take so long for the changes to be implemented?

Education is largely locally administered and the USDA is a federal agency. It takes a while for calls for change to reach a critical mass to justify federal intervention. 

Q: Why is there so much focus on school lunch and not breakfast?

About 20 million fewer children eat school breakfast compared to lunch. Also school breakfast evaluations find that many schools meet dietary guidelines for this meal.  

Q: Why couldn't this problem be fixed sooner? What was the biggest barrier?

Schools face real constraints in changing the meals they can offer. School meal programs must be self-sufficient and find ways to offer meals that students will want to buy while keeping costs low. Even with these new guidelines in place, it will be a challenge for schools to afford healthier foods without raising the prices of school meals.