October​ ​20,​ ​2017

The​ ​Honorable​ ​John​ ​Garamendi

412​ ​G​ ​Street
Davis,​ ​CA​ ​95616

RE:​ ​SUPPORT​ ​H.R.3800​ ​(NUTRITION​ ​EDUCATION​ ​ACT),​ ​as​ ​introduced​ ​10/22/2015

Dear​ ​John​ ​Garamendi:

My​ ​name​ ​is​ ​Leana​ ​Abusneineh​ ​and​ ​I​ ​am​ ​a​ ​Clinical​ ​Nutrition​ ​student​ ​at​ ​University​ ​of​ ​California,​ ​Davis​ ​who
resides​ ​in​ ​your​ ​district.

I​ ​urge​ ​your​ ​support​ ​for​ ​this​ ​bill.​ ​This​ ​bill​ ​will​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​public​ ​schools​ ​that​ ​receive​ ​funding​ ​from​ ​the
National​ ​School​ ​Lunch​ ​Program​ ​will​ ​also​ ​require​ ​50​ ​hours​ ​of​ ​nutrition​ ​education​ ​every​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​(State
why​ ​you​ ​support​ ​or​ ​oppose​ ​the​ ​bill​ ​or​ ​other​ ​issue​ ​here.​ ​Richard​ ​B.​ ​Russell​ ​National​ ​School​ ​Lunch​ ​Act​ ​(42
U.S.C.​ ​1758b)​ ​includes​ ​nutrition​ ​promotion​ ​or​ ​education.​ ​However,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​no​ ​specifics​ ​of​ ​what​ ​or​ ​how
much​ ​that​ ​entails.​ ​This​ ​act​ ​(Nutrition​ ​Education​ ​Act)​ ​will​ ​specify​ ​what​ ​those​ ​requirements​ ​will​ ​be.

There​ ​are​ ​many​ ​benefits​ ​that​ ​this​ ​bill​ ​would​ ​have​ ​if​ ​it​ ​succeeds.​ ​The​ ​current​ ​school​ ​nutrition​ ​education
consists​ ​of​ ​only​ ​about​ ​13​ ​hours​ ​per​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​This​ ​amount​ ​is​ ​clearly​ ​not​ ​enough​ ​time​ ​for​ ​children​ ​to
gain​ ​even​ ​a​ ​basic​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​nutrition.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​assumed​ ​that​ ​50​ ​hours​ ​is​ ​enough​ ​time​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​what​ ​is
necessary​ ​to​ ​know​ ​regarding​ ​nutrition.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​important​ ​for​ ​students​ ​to​ ​know​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​nutrition​ ​early
in​ ​age.​ ​Studies​ ​funded​ ​by​ ​the​ ​NIH​ ​have​ ​shown​ ​that​ ​children​ ​exposed​ ​to​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​fruits​ ​and​ ​vegetables
will​ ​help​ ​them​ ​like​ ​them​ ​better.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States,​ ​1​ ​in​ ​3​ ​children​ ​are​ ​overweight​ ​or​ ​obese.​ ​They​ ​then
become​ ​overweight​ ​or​ ​obese​ ​middle​ ​schoolers,​ ​high​ ​schoolers,​ ​then​ ​adults.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​clear​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​important
to​ ​start​ ​taking​ ​action​ ​early​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​them​ ​with​ ​the​ ​education.​ ​Teachers​ ​in​ ​classroom​ ​settings​ ​need​ ​to
teach​ ​students​ ​about​ ​nutrition​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​conflicting​ ​messages​ ​from​ ​their​ ​parents​ ​or​ ​the​ ​media​ ​to
children.​ ​Children​ ​learn​ ​from​ ​celebrities​ ​on​ ​TV.​ ​ ​Children​ ​may​ ​not​ ​know​ ​what​ ​is​ ​wrong​ ​and​ ​what​ ​is​ ​right.
The​ ​media​ ​can​ ​have​ ​a​ ​damaging​ ​effect​ ​on​ ​children.​ ​We​ ​live​ ​in​ ​a​ ​very​ ​diet-centered​ ​culture,​ ​and​ ​children
should​ ​have​ ​the​ ​knowledge​ ​that​ ​they​ ​don't​ ​need​ ​to​ ​go​ ​on​ ​diets​ ​to​ ​be​ ​healthy.

I​ ​see​ ​that​ ​this​ ​bill​ ​should​ ​be​ ​implemented​ ​in​ ​my​ ​14​ ​year​ ​old​ ​brother.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​slightly​ ​overweight,​ ​and​ ​while
that​ ​does​ ​not​ ​mean​ ​unhealthy,​ ​he​ ​does​ ​not​ ​eat​ ​well.​ ​He​ ​refuses​ ​to​ ​eat​ ​anything​ ​healthy.​ ​He​ ​does​ ​not
understand​ ​the​ ​true​ ​consequences​ ​in​ ​consuming​ ​fast​ ​food​ ​regularly.I’m​ ​afraid​ ​he​ ​will​ ​grow​ ​up​ ​continuing
this​ ​behavior.​ ​People​ ​learn​ ​their​ ​own​ ​habits​ ​at​ ​a​ ​younger​ ​age,​ ​and​ ​while​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​impossible,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​difficult​ ​to
change​ ​your​ ​ways​ ​when​ ​you​ ​are​ ​older.

I​ ​urge​ ​you​ ​to​ ​support​ ​me!​ ​Thank​ ​you​ ​for​ ​taking​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​read​ ​this​ ​and​ ​for​ ​your​ ​consideration.

Sincerely,

Leana​ ​Abusneineh
510​ ​Arthur​ ​St,​ ​Apt​ ​228
Davis,​ ​CA​ ​95616