Back-to-School Special: Free, Gross, Fattening Lunches

UPDATE 12/02/10: The House voted in favor of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, ushering in school lunch reform. The move came after more than 15,000 Change.org members signed a petition supporting the Child Nutrition Act and more than 1,000 members urged Congress to reform school lunch without cutting future funds to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aka food stamps.  While the bill still includes SNAP cuts, President Obama and Congressional leaders have promised to fix these reductions. Read the full story here.

Even a casual observer can tell you that lunches served in school cafeterias are gross. I mean, come on: A rib-b-que or bagel dog? I'm still not sure what part of an animal a "rib-b-que" comes from, and as for a bagel dog, wrapping a hot dog in breakfast does not make the "meat" any less dubious. New research shows that these vittles aren't just vomit-inducing — they actually make kids fatter.

Even though cafeteria meals are required to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritional standards, a new study shows that  federally funded school lunches contribute to America's childhood obesity epidemic. Meals that government agencies deem "healthy" are actively making kids pack on the pounds. The USDA-funded study, which followed 13,500 elementary school students over a number of years, found that kids who ate meals provided by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) were more likely to become overweight than those who did not eat federally funded lunches. "The fact that federally funded school lunches contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic is disconcerting, although not altogether surprising," Daniel L. Millimet, the study's lead author, told Medical News Today.

The finding may not be surprising, but that doesn't make it any less monstrous of a problem. About 30 percent of American children between the ages of two and 19 are overweight or obese. Nationally, about 30 million students in 100,000 schools rely on the NSLP every year, while 10 million kids eat federally funded school breakfasts. School is where kids go to learn — turns out the only education they're getting in the lunchroom is how to eat unhealthy dishes. And folks wonder why the country's childhood obesity rates continue to skyrocket.

And while this most recent study paints a pretty poor picture of the health impacts posed by eating chicken patties, pizza, and rib-b-ques for lunch, researchers found that kids who eat school breakfast and lunches are less heavy than kids who don't eat either or who only chow down on the lunch. What gives?

Well, there could be a few explanations to explain this surprising finding. For one, according to study authors, research suggests that school lunches are less in compliance with USDA nutritional standards than school breakfasts are. The other issue is that many schools offer a la carte choices during lunch that aren't included with federally funded lunches. For example, for an additional fee, students may be able to purchase a cookie or a bag of chips with their already-unhealthy lunch. If given the option for a fattening cookie to go with their bagel dog, tater tots, and apple, most kids are going to jump at the chance for a sweet treat.

NSLP is a troubled program that will likely take years to truly reform. But for the first time since 1973, Congress is poised to start turning the tables on school lunch. The Child Nutrition Bill, which was recently passed by the Senate, will soon get a vote in the House. If both Congressional bodies approve the legislation, it will raise the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches for the first time in almost 40 years. It's just a small step towards real reform, but it's a step in the right direction. Sign our petition asking lawmakers to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act as soon as possible so that all students can start eating healthier.

Photo credit: fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com