Are School Lunches a National Security Threat?

[Barb135]

Are school lunches a national security threat?


Apr 20, 5:28 AM (ET)

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) - A group of retired military officers says high-calorie school lunches are threatening national security.

A study by the group Mission: Readiness finds that school lunches are making American kids so fat that fewer of them can meet the military's physical fitness standards. That, in turn, is putting recruitment in jeopardy.

A report from the group, being released Tuesday, says that 27 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24 are too overweight to join the military.

One of the officers, retired Navy Rear Admiral James Barnett Jr., says many young Americans are simply too fat to fight.

The officers are pushing for passage of a wide-ranging nutrition bill that aims to make the nation's school lunches healthier.

[have 2 kids]

I didn't take your post personally and I wasn't offended.  I was just stating that our schools lunches were not very healthy.   I agree it does start at home.  Many families don't eat home cooked meals and the video games make for a great babysitter.   That's not how we have chosen to live.  Alot of nights we don't eat until 7:30 because we fill it is important to eat together as a family and it also takes some time to prepare meals and with two kids in sports it is hectic.    

[StormyRenee]

I remember that the choices at my schools were pretty much all garbage.Fried mystery meat burritos and pizza. We did at one point get a salad bar...
I too was outside all the time constantly moving.I did at times play Atari and D&D .But I was extremely active as were my parents.They would not allow me to just sit and grow roots to the couch.
If the parents are lazy chances are the children will also be lazy by example.
Children need good healthy food like vegis,fruit and good stuff. Not Hot Pockets and Pizza Rolls....They need to be outside playing not stuck in front of the computer,TV or gaming system.

[specialmom]

Our school system does a fairly decent job of providing healthy food, to be honest.  It helps if kids are exposed to it early on and learn to have a taste for it.  But that is a universal problem with kids even way back in the olden days when I was in school.  If given a choice, kids often prefer junk.  I don't buy too much junk at home . . . because I'll eat it.  Seriously, I'll eat it.  I'm not joking.  I'll eat it. .  .  so can I blame my kids if it is offered to them for eating it?  No.  But like I said, our school system tries to maintain a healthful program.  We can't even bring treats in for birthdays in our school.  Once in a while they get a treat of air popped popcorn that is butter free.  That's about it.

Still thinking that schools talk a lot about food and not enough about physical education.

And . . .  some families get their kids out and going . . . we do as we wouldn't survive without that (essential for little engines to run smoothly). . . and folks still do but not like when I was a kid.  We spent every second we could playing outside.  It just isn't like that anymore.  I asked a boy yesturday where he was as we didn't see him out . . . he said he played his nintendo ds all day.  

[Barb135]

It's true that a lot of schools serve donuts for breakfast; or packaged waffle sticks soaked in syrup; etc. Even the single servings of packaged fruits are packed in heavy syrup.  

But let's not forget the fast food -- I can't help wonder if that often plays as big or bigger role than school meals.  I hear parents talking at work about how they didn't have time to fix dinner between football practice and church choir or whatever activities the family had planned for the evening, so they ran through the closest drive through.  And look at some adults too.  I must admit that I end up eating fast food all too often for lunch because I eat on the go most days. Luckily, I don't have any young children now, because I wouldn't be setting such a good example for them as I did when my own kids were growing up.

So you are right, teko; it does start at home.  If parents provide healthy food for their children from the beginning, they will learn to like "good" things and hopefully would shun some of the worst fare that's provided in school. AND in all fairness, our schools also provide some fresh fruits, such as apples, oranges, sometimes bananas and grapes, along with both low fat and fat free milk.

For those parents that are providing a good breakfast at home for your children and/or packing a good healthy lunch and seeing that they get plenty of sleep, fresh air and exercise -- my hat's off to you.  That's where it needs to start.

[teko]

While school lunches are not the healthiest fare, they do not make for obese children in and of themselves. I would also like to point out that I am speaking in generalities and not pointing fingers at individual parents. Of course some parents still do what is right and it is good to hear you are one of those. Again I am speaking in general terms.

[have 2 kids]

My children are very active after school.   They rarely sit in front of the tv playing video games, etc.    
School lunches are a problem in most schools.   They are high in sodium, etc.  Most of what is served is pre-packaged.    Donuts are being served as a breakfast in schools.    
Alot of the meals are unhealthy.   My son prefers to bring his lunch.   When he does eat school lunch about 50% of the time he gets sick.

[teko]

I dont see school lunch as the problem. The problem begins at home in front of television and computers with no outdoor exercise as well as all the processed food and junk food that parents allow into their homes. It begins with parenting and parenting has gone downhill in the last 20 years.

[Barb135]

I agree that eating healthy food is essential; but I also agree that TV, computer, video games, cell phones, etc are a huge problem.  Most of the food served in the schools in our county is "pre-packaged" because they say it is less expensive and more nutritious.  Well, maybe it really IS more nutritious because it's unappealing and tastes so horrible the kids won't eat it - yep, probably much better for them.

When I was growing up, our PE time was spent "moving"; chores to be done after school and of course our summer days were filled with farm work, plus I walked a good share of the places I went, so overweight was not an issue.  

In addition, when I was young, most of our food was purchased fresh (or raised on our farm) and cooked at home, rather than the fast food, prepackaged, frozen, etc.

[specialmom]

I'm not sure if it is the school lunches or if it is the after school activities.  The onslaught of video games and computer time is scary.  Going outside and playing and running around is something all kids should be doing every day but how many do?  

Heck, schools themselves do not help.  Gym time is one of the things cut back on to make sure a school scores well on the standardized tests.  When I was in school we had the President's fitness challenge.  Physical fitness in schools would be well served by keeping it in the curriculum.

Parents need to encourage their kids to stay physically active.  

[MrGreen]

What next. OK. So healthy is good. But if you were to make people that they should look a certain way it could create a different problem. A bit like women's magazines. They show off these images of pencil thin females. Then you have normal females, who I would say are standard size, feeling they are over weight and must look like the girls in the magazines. And so they begin to diet. Eat little or nothing. To me it would all depend on how they brought their message across. Saying you are too fat is the wrong thing to say. They have to show you can eat food, food that is good for you, and not pile on the pounds. I know they had this debate in the UK once. They ended up with a cook off the TV designing lunches for schools. The kids hated the food. Here in Ireland we don't have school dinners and the likes. Will never be an issue here.