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Improvements in School Nutrition

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Improvements in School Nutrition
David Johnson
Strayer University
ENG 115
November 7, 2012

Improvements in School Nutrition

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years and has become a major issue in our nation. The obesity dilemma affects boys and girls of all ages, races, and ethnicities in the United States. Recent changes to school breakfast and lunch programs have been implemented to improve overall health and nutritional value. These changes are designed to incorporate healthier eating habits, accommodate more participants in a more cost effective way, and provide easier accessibility to the program. Nutrition experts agree that if the nation wants to make progress on the obesity crisis among children, what they eat in school for breakfast and lunch has to be addressed.

The percentage of obese children aged 6 to 11 years in the U.S. increased from 7 percent to 20 percent from 1980-2008. In 2011 that number increased to 33 percent. These facts indicate a strong need to make changes to the school lunch program. Studies show that more than half of the calories students eat in a day are consumed at school during breakfast and lunch periods. Affordability is just as important as nutritional value. When making changes to these programs, it is imperative that we take into consideration the number of students who receive free and reduced-price meals as well as students who do not. Children who receive free or reduced-price meals are more likely to eat at school. For some children these are the only meals they will eat during the week. Changes in the economy have a lot to do with this as, on average, it costs less to buy a school lunch than to bring a lunch from home. The estimated national average of a school lunch from home was $3.43 last school year, while the average cost of a school lunch for paid

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