School Lunches: Beneficial or

Bogus?
An Independent Study By:
Rebecca Lorden

Preconceived Notions
What comes to your mind when you think

about school luncheswhen you were

young? Now?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=JkCqKXcz76k

Childrens Health Over 100 Years

Improved dramatically
Vaccines
Sanitation
Antibiotics
Availability of safe water
Child car seats
Bicycle helmets
Given the trajectory toward a healthier

childhood and healthier children, we begin

the 21st century with a startling setbackan
epidemic of childhood obesity (The Institute
of Medicine 2005:21-22)

Risk Factors of Poor Nutrition and

Obesity
Affects boys and girls
Affects all races
Affects all ages
Cardiovascular disease(s)
Diabetes (children born after the year 2000 have a 30-40%
chance of being diagnosed with diabetes at some point in their
lives)
Negative body image
Lower self-esteem
Depression
Negative affects on academic and social progress
Adverse behavioral and mental health outcomes
Greater likelihood of repeating a grade

Whats Not Working?

School vending machines
Offering Competitive Foods
Cuts in physical education and sports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=3bauJhztUQA

What Is Working?
Improvements to the National School Lunch

Program
School breakfast programs
Offer Vs. Serve
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program
Early Sprouts Program

SAU 29
Food Based Menu
System
Children must
choose 3 out of 5
Offer Vs. Serve
method
Menu creation is a
combination of
research, trade show
information, and
tracking of menu

SAU 29
Dessert offered
once per week (or
less)
Vegetarian
options offered
daily
Breakfast offered
daily
Free and reduced
breakfast and
lunches available

Bagged Lunch or School Lunch?

What have you seen in your field

placements?

Recently it has been suggested that

the nutritional standards of foods in
childrens packed lunches brought from
home was, if anything, worse than the
food served at school (Shepherd
2009:47)

What is the Government Doing to Help?

Three Goals:
1. Improve access to and consumption of healthy, safe, and

affordable foods
2. Reduce access to and consumption of calorie-dense and
nutrient-poor foods
3. Raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating
to prevent childhood obesity
Nine Strategies:
1. Retail Outlets
2. Restaurants
3. Community Food Access
4. Public Programs and Worksites
5. Government Nutrition Programs
6. Breastfeeding
7. Drinking Water Access
8. Policies and Ordinances

Other Factors
Industry, Advertising, Media
Public Education
Physical Education
Local Communities
Home/Family Influence
Economic and Time Constraints

So What Can Teachers Do?

Schools as community centers
After-school programs
Ensure all children get 30 minutes of

rigorous exercise per day

Advocate for physical education and
intramural sports teams in your school
Enhance health curricula
Be a positive role model
Participate in Food Service meetings and
voting

Questions

Sources
Institute of Medicine. (2005). Preventing Childhood

Obesity. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Karnik & Kanekar. (2012). Childhood Obesity: A Global
Public Health Crisis. Preventive Medicine 3:1.
Mhurchu, C. (2010). Effects of a Free School Breakfast
Programme. BMC Public Health 10:738.
Mitchell et al. (2009). Reliability of the School Food
Checklist. Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Rees et al. (2008). Food and Nutrient Intakes of Primary
School Children. Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Shor & Friedman. (2009). Integration of Nutritionrelated Components. Early Child Development and
Care 179:4.