New York State still does not have a Healthy School Food Bill. The legislative session ends on Friday – so please make 4 phone calls to urge legislators to introduce and pass “Governor Paterson’s Healthy Schools Act”. It has several important provisions that will improve the food in schools.
PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING NOW:
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver - 518-455-3791
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno - 518-455-3191
Assembly Education Chair Catherine Nolan - 518-455-4851
Senate Education Chair Stephen Saland - (518) 455-2411
When you call, say:
My name is ___________
I live in ___________ (name of city).
I support “Governor Paterson’s Healthy Schools Act” bill.
I support Governor Paterson’s inclusion of a healthy plant-based meat alternative because it would have no cholesterol and be low in saturated fat and high in fiber.
It’s time that schools practice what they teach. Please ask Assemblyperson (or Senator) ________________ to introduce and pass the Healthy Schools Act before this legislative session ends.
Thank you!
These calls are vitally important. Remember that:
- 1/3 of all kids born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes (and for African American and Latino children, it’s even worse at 40 – 53%)
- 50% of children ages 2 – 15 already have fatty streaks in their arteries, the beginning stages of heart disease
- 35% of cancer deaths are caused by diet (and 1 hotdog or 1 bologna sandwich per week can increase colorectal cancer risk by 30 – 50%!)
- Obesity rates are out of control and we have a nation of malnourished children who are so far removed from eating a diet of whole, natural, unprocessed foods
- Less than 2% eat in line with the US Dietary Guidelines
Key provisions include:
1. A Requirement that the Departments of Health, Education, and Agriculture and Markets develop nutritional standards (rather than the standards being included in the legislation itself – and we see this as positive since there is a chance for public input). The regulations created by these standards would take effect sometime after September 1, 2010.
2. A Prohibition on the sale of soda and candy in elementary and secondary schools during the school day.
3. A Requirement that schools offer at least one plant-based meat alternative during the lunch period. This is a great provision given that schools are supposed to reduce saturated fat, cholesterol, and increase fiber.
4. A Requirement that schools offer fruit with no added sweeteners for breakfast and lunch and vegetables that are not fried during lunch and that half of the grain products offered over a school week be whole grain (despite the fact that schools are required to meet the US Dietary Guidelines for their meals, which require that half of grain products be whole grain, not all schools are doing this).
5. Development of media health promotion campaigns, establishing community-based obesity prevention programs, to develop effective messages about healthy eating and physical activity behaviors and to address factors which lead to eating disorders, an assessment of all schools to see if they have an adequate emphasis on physical activity and nutrition education, and the study of the feasibility of requiring school breakfast programs.
6. Click
here to read a summary of the bill.
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