New fed rules coming for low-income children.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: As obesity rates in the United States reaches new highs, a federal program that feeds millions of low-income children may be revamped for the first time in half a century with the goal of making the meals that are offered healthier.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to overhaul rules related to the Child and Adult Care Food Program, a program similar to the National School Lunch Program, except for day-care providers. It feeds about 3.8 million children daily while also providing food for children in emergency shelters and paying for after-school meals or snacks in areas where at least half the students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunches, according to the Lansing State Journal.
More vegetables and less sugar lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposals, developed with guidance from experts. Grain-based desserts, such as cookies and cakes, would no longer be reimbursable, and children younger than 1 would no longer be offered juice. Facilities wouldn’t be reimbursed when food is deep-fried on site, although prepackaged fried foods, such as chicken nuggets, could still be served, though recommendations urge that they be offered infrequently.
According to the, CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Furthermore, by 2012 more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.
Some day cares, including a YMCA-run one in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kan., are implementing the suggestions already.
“It put my mind at ease,†said Christy Birt, a 31-year-old human resources worker from Kansas City, Kan. who has a 15-month-old daughter who attends the Kansas City’s YMCA day care program. “So, if we are running around at night having to feed her something not as nutritious, then I know she received something nutritious while she was at day care. It was one of the things that made us want to go to the Y.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically notes, “Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.”
“Children should have access to healthy foods … because the more they have them at a younger age, the more they will chose them at a later age,†YMCA program director Erica Ritter told LSJ.