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Michelle Wakeman

Fox

English 12 CP

19 December 2012

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

By age 4, 18.4% of all children are obese. This is shocking for most because at

this day and age, being healthy is widely strived for and accepted as desirable. Many food

companies point out how healthy their food is in order to sell it. Claims like “more fiber”

and “rich with antioxidants” are plastered on labels. Cereal companies, like General

Mills, advertise their cereal as having whole grains and low sugar. Yet it seems, despite

their efforts to make their food healthier, the obesity epidemic keeps growing.

That is precisely the reason why, in 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was

signed. Its goal is to lower the obesity rate for children by providing healthier foods at

school. By offering fat-free milk, more fruits and vegetables, and other good-for-you

options, the act hopes to lower the risk of obesity for school children. It also restricts the

amount of fat and calories the food sold at school can have. But there may be some nasty

side effects. Although the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 has good intentions

regarding lowering the obesity rate in children, it doesn’t allow for specific nourishment

needs because it treats children as if they were all the same.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was put into place mostly because childhood

obesity needs to be stopped. In an article written for U.S. News and World Report,

Consumer Services Under Secretary Kevin Concannon states, “One in three children in

America is overweight or obese and at risk for diabetes” (Fox). Also, in another article

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written for Consumer Health Complete, Dennis Thompson informs us that, “The rate [of

childhood obesity] has risen dramatically, more than tripling over the past 30 years.”

These statements show that more and more children are or will become obese. This

problem also isn’t going to go away. Since the rate has increase, we can expect obesity to

be a problem for future generations because the issue isn’t going away by itself; it will

grow. With this in mind, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was written and

implemented to reduce childhood obesity by improving the nutritional value of food sold

in schools (Ritchie). Its goal is to hopefully lower the risk of obesity for future children

too.

The new act now has requirements for school meals. In an article for ProQuest

Newsstand, it informs us that, “…updated school meals nutrition standards…increase

fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy” (Viana). Furthermore, Shawna

Creveling states in her article for Creston News Advertiser, changes made to lunch menus

include, “…offering fruit daily and vegetable subgroups weekly…half of grains must be

whole grain-rich…offering weekly meat/meat alternatives…required weekly amount of

protein for each grade group…[and] zero grams of trans fat per portion.” This informs us

that more nutritional value is being put into school meals, especially lunch. Additionally

it requires portable water to be available not only during meal times, but at all times

(Heyman, Wojcicki). With water available, it reduces the need for sugary drinks because

children are offered a better thirst quencher. These new requirements were stated in the

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to reach its goal of lowering childhood obesity.

Not only does the act require schools to have certain things in their meals, but it

restricts some contents too, like calories, fat, and portion sizes. Dennis Thompson

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informs us in his article for Consumer Health Complete, the new rules for school food

include:

“…establishing calorie maximums and minimums in school meals, set according

to age ranges, reducing sodium in meals,…serving just one cup a week of starchy

vegetables, such as potatoes, green peas, and corn,…using products that are free

of trans fats, [and] providing only unflavored 1 percent milk or skim milk that is

either flavored or unflavored.”

Additionally, because there are calorie restrictions, portions (mostly ones high in meat or

carbohydrate content) are smaller, like hamburgers and potato wedges (Yee). The types

of things the act is restricting can be seen as harmful if consumed immensely. If eaten

often and in large quantities, things like fat and calories can lead to obesity. The Healthy,

Hunger-Free Kids Act puts limits to those things in order to avoid obesity, especially in

children.

Because of the changes, money is needed for the implementation. President Barak

Obama has allowed $4.5 billion to be given for schools to make these changes

(Creveling). Furthermore, Gema Viana writes in her article for ProQuest Newsstand that

the act, “…[provides] local schools as much as $7.5 billion over 5 years to invest in

healthier meals for children…These funds are tied to performance in meeting the updated

nutrition standards for school meals.” Here we see that in order for the act to be carried

out, money is needed. Not only does the act make changes to the lunch food, but it allows

the alterations to happen by giving the schools money to do so.

One of the pros of the act is that it has good intentions, especially regarding its

new food options. More healthy food options are available because of the Healthy

Hunger-Free Kids Act. For example, in an article written by Gema Viana for ProQuest

Newsstand, she states that, “It provides for improved access to nutrition assistance to

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make it easier for children to get nutritious meals when they are away from home. From

this we see that children are giving the opportunity to eat health meals when previously

they didn’t have the option to choose nutritional food. It is doing this by bumping up the

amount of fruits and vegetables being served. Cafeteria cooks are also using whole grains

or wheat bread products from pizza crust to pancakes (Taylor). Also as another article for

ProQuest Newsstand says, “Cafeterias switched to…1 percent milk and vegetables

seasoned with bouillon instead of salt. They stopped frying. But more adjustments are

ahead” (Taylor). This allows us to see that the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act is helping

schools point their students in the direction of healthy eating. With things like, 1 percent

milk, more vegetables, and more whole grains, children can be given the option of eating

healthy and hopefully given the option to adopt this new lifestyle.

Another reason the food options from the act is helpful to children, is that not only

are the options more healthy but they are being provided to students who live in low

income areas and don’t get this option at home. In an article for ProQuest Newsstand, it

is stated that, “[The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act] improves access to school and after-

school meals for low-income children” (Donald). As we see, this is a major pro because it

ensures children who don’t have the money to eat healthy receive the opportunity to do

so. Also, another article for ProQuest Newsstand gives us in depth detail about this part

of the act, stating, “USDA worked closely with states to expand the availability of

afterschool meals across the nation through the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

USDA estimates this expansion could provide supper to an additional 140,000 kids in

low-income areas” (Viana). This is a significant amount of children benefiting from this

act. They don’t have to go hungry just because they can’t afford food. The same article

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also says, “USDA issued guidance and provided technical assistance to states to ensure

that more than 400,000 children in foster care are certified to receive free meals in all

USDA child nutrition programs.” Again, a substantial amount of, not only financially

under privileged students but ones under foster care, can receive the same opportunity as

other kids regarding healthy food options. This new requirement helps all children, no

matter what type of household they are form, get the nutrition they need and deserve.

A further reason the act is beneficial is because it helps kids try new things and

improves their diets. First, let us examine how it helps students try new things. In an

article written by Shawna Creveling, a freshman student at Creston High School, James

Riddle, is quoted as saying, “It gives kids a chance to become more healthy…They even

have pineapple. They have bananas, apples and oranges, too. They just have a really wide

variety.” Another article written by Teresa Taylor, quotes an eighth-grader from Alston

Middle School, Shayla Profit, and she says; “Now they’re giving us more healthy stuff.

There’s fresh salad almost everyday if not every day.” It is apparent that children are

seeing the new food trends that have been initiated in the act. There are new food options

that weren’t there before. They are receiving different things to try, which allows them to

be exposed and open to new things that are better for them.

Because students are trying new things, this gives them the chance to change their

diets to be healthier. As stated in a Consumer Health Complete article, written by Dennis

Thompson, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association is quoted as saying,

“School districts have an opportunity to teach children how to eat, as well as providing

healthier food.” Teaching children how to eat well is essential for their health because

without the knowledge of what is good for you and what isn’t, students don’t know how

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to eat properly. This is precisely what the American Dietetic Association is stressing. A

ProQuest Newsstand article also informs us that, “USDA provided guidance to enhance

local wellness policies in schools to promote healthier lifestyles for children” (Viana).

Schools need to help their students find a diet that fits their needs and is nutritional. The

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids act helps them do so with its new requirements for school

food. If the right things are provided, it can show kids what types of food is good for

them and tasty too. Improvements like these will have numerous health benefits for our

nations future, our children (Morrill).

Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the act; it also helps farmers sell

their produce. Gema Viana writes for her article in ProQuest Newsstand that, “New

USDA policy ensures that children have access to fresh produce and other agricultural

products and give a much-needed boost to local farmers and agricultural producers.” The

healthy produce grown by farmers is given to children who are in need of healthy food.

Because of this, not only do the children benefit from nutritional food, but farmers benefit

from being able to sell their produce and farm to school programs are given $40 million

to ensure that this happens (Donald). Also, in another ProQuest Newsstand article,

Jennifer Morrill informs us that, “The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act…will offer in

competitive grants to increase the use of local foods form small- and medium-size farms

in school feeding programs.” Farmers benefit a lot from this portion of the act because

they get the opportunity to improve their farms and the quality of their food. And because

of this, it helps children become healthier because they are given the better quality food

they need from these farms. It isn’t just students who are being helped through this act.

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But there are drawbacks from the new requirements and implications, one of them

being that some children simply don’t like the new food being offered. Vivian Yee’s

article quotes Malik Barrows, a senior at Automotive High School, saying, “Before, there

was no taste and no flavor. Now there’s no taste, no flavor and it’s healthy, which makes

it taste even worse.” In the same article, another student, senior Danielson Gutierrez at

Middle School 104, is asked what she thinks about the vegetables offered at her school.

She replies, “I just throw them out.” As we can see, healthy food is a problem if it doesn’t

taste good because the students won’t eat it. They won’t be able to become healthier

simply because there is healthy food in front of them, but they refuse to eat it. And there

is no way we can force children to eat something. This stands as a major flaw in the act.

The food restrictions also impose a complication with the students and faculty.

Lauren Fox’s article for U.S. News and World Report sums up what the teacher’s

opinions are saying, “The restrictions have limited the amount of protein and

carbohydrates…[which is] significantly affecting kid’s ability to concentrate in class and

participate in after-school sports.” Along the same lines, another article written by

Shawna Creveling informs us what Kim Miller, the food service director for Creston

Schools, thinks as she is quoted, “The biggest reaction I’ve seen from the student is tat

they are unhappy with the portion sizes.” It is obvious that because of the new act’s

restrictions, it is hard for the kids to perform well in school because there isn’t enough

food or nutrients in the meals offered to help them get through the day. One of the most

shocking complaints came from a school in Kansas, where the students created a video

on YouTube called “We Are Hungry,” which is a parody of the popular song, “We Are

Young.” In an article for Huff Post Life, it states that, “[The video] features students

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criticizing the calorie restrictions, passing out in the classroom, on the football field and

in the gym, and going to great lengths to feel full, such as sneaking out of class to a

locker stashed with snacks.” If the restrictions impair the children of their ability to do

well in class, or feel the necessary feeling of being full, then the requirements of the act

seems questionable. The purpose of it is to help the students eat better and become

healthier, not harm them by keeping them from consuming the nutrition their bodies

need.

Another problem with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act is that it requires a lot of

money to meet its requirements. Teresa Taylor explains in her article for ProQuest

Newsstand, “The district would have to spend up to 15 cents more for each lunch and 51

cents more for each breakfast…That represents a huge budget increase even with the

USDA kicking in 6 cents more per lunch.” Schools are already facing budget cuts and

don’t have extra money to recreate their school meals. The money they could be saving

could be used for more important programs, like art programs and athletics. Dennis

Thompson clarifies in his article for Consumer Health Complete why changes asked for

in the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act are so expensive. He states, “Fresh and nutritious

food is more expensive than processed foods, and it has a shorter shelf life.” Although

healthy food is good for you, it costs money that schools don’t want to spend because of

new health requirements. And school meals are now 10 cents more expensive to cover

these costs (Yee). Not only are schools paying for these changes, but the student buying

the food are having to pay more to cover how expensive it is. In an article for the New

York Times, Brandon Faris, a student and boycott organizer, was quoted as saying, “The

portion of the meal went down, the price should also go down” (Yee). This shows how

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students are not happy with the changes and don’t want to pay for them with money out

of their own pockets either. This is harming both schools and their students.

An additional consideration is how diverse children are and that the “one size fits

all” rule isn’t realistic. As one article from ProQuest Newsstand points out, “…what

about the picky eaters who burn off lots of calories? Pizza might be fine for them on

occasion, and one of the few foods they’ll eat” (Editorial Choice…). We need to

recognize how some children need more food than others and this act keeps them from

getting enough. In The Washington Times, Joy Pullmann informs us that, “…student

athletes…are complaining the 850-calorie limit embodied in nacho plates containing

eight tortilla chips just doesn’t provide enough food for their growing, hard-working

bodies.” In another article, a specific student is described as an example that this act

doesn’t provide enough to eat, stating, “He wakes up early every morning to do chores,

stays after school for two hours of football practice and returns home for another round of

chores. If it were not for the lunches his mother now packs him, he said, he would be

hungry again just two hours after lunch” (Yee). Some students are getting harmed by the

new restrictions and requirements because they simply need more than the government

thinks they do. Not all students are built the same and have the same needs. Just because

a certain amount of food causes obesity in one child doesn’t mean all will be affected this

way. That amount may not be enough for others. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act

doesn’t consider this and needs to let students assess their own consumption levels in

order for all students to get the nutrition they need.

As you can see, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act has good intensions because it

tries to lower childhood obesity, but because of its restrictions it may actually harm some

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students rather than help them. What we should be doing to help children lead healthier

lives ins educating them on making better food choices and teaching them how they can

improve their lives by eating right. For example, schools could add courses in health class

about food nutrition or have a separate class dedicated to it entirely. They could use the

money they would be spending on food provisions on something more helpful like this.

With knowledge, children can understand the importance of good food choices and will

be more likely to follow them. Instead of simply creating rules, we should encourage kids

to make healthy choices on their own. This way children and students can lower their risk

of obesity and still get the nutrition they need to grow.

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Works Cited

Anderson, Jessica Cumberbatch. “Michelle Obama’s Low-Calorie School Lunches

Slammed By ‘Hungry’ High Schoolers.” Huff Post Life Blackvoices. 26 Sept.

2012. Huffington Post. 15 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/michelle-obamas-low-calorie-

school-lunch-video_n_1914394.html>.

Creveling, Shawna. “School Lunches Menu Regulations Changed.” Creston News

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Donald, Maria. “NFU Applauds Passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.”

Targeted News Service. 1 Aug. 2011. ProQuest Newsstand. 18 Oct. 2012.

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Free Kids Act of 2010 Has Good Intentions, But We Hope the USDA Won’t

Overreach in its Guidelines.” Denver Post. 11 April 2010. ProQuest Newsstand.

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accountid=8064>.

Fox, Lauren. “Kansas Kids Rebel, Call School Lunch Legislation Baloney.” U.S. News

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