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The Time is NOW
to Support Healthier
Schools
As
the farm bill debate continues on the floor today,
the Senate will be taking up an amendment that
could have a critical and dramatic impact on the
nutrition quality of schools around the country.
The Harkin/Murkowski/Carper/Cornyn amendment (see attached
summary) would set national nutrition
standards for all foods and beverages sold in
schools from cafeterias to vending machines to
school stores. There is currently no state
in the country whose nutrition standards for both
food and beverages are stronger than those set
forth in the bill. Thus, the passage of the
amendment would have a profound impact on what is
available to kids in almost every school in the
country. For this reason, the bill is supported by
over 100 public health, education, and industry
organizations.
Although obesity is a complex and
multifactorial disease, there is sufficient
evidence that consumption of sugar flavored
beverages and other low nutrition foods are
significant contributors. This reality is why the
National Summit on Obesity Policy identified
improving the school nutrition environment as one
of the top priorities in reversing the obesity
epidemic. Studies such as the one published
in last week’s New England Journal of Medicine
(link to our news link) exploring the long term
consequences of the disease continue to reinforce
the urgency of curbing this epidemic.
Setting national nutrition standards for schools
is a significant and necessary step in the right
direction.
The Senate is likely to vote on the
amendment today so NOW IS THE TIME TO ENCOURAGE
ALL SENATORS TO VOTE YES FOR THE NUTRITION
STANDARDS FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN SCHOOLS
AMENDMENT!! | 
