| Indian schools asked to ban junk food
India's children are getting increasingly overweight and unhealthy and the government is asking schools to ban junk food, officials said Thursday. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, a government advisory body, has drawn up healthy eating guidelines for both government and privately run schools to follow, said Sandhya Bajaj, a commission member. "The number of overweight children in schools is growing," Bajaj said in a telephone interview. She said that the commission was getting complaints from parents who said that their children were buying unhealthy food from school cafeterias. Obesity is emerging as a serious health problem in urban India, a paradox in a country where nearly half the children are malnourished and underweight.
Changing The Way Kids Eat At School
(DANVILLE)---Kids in Danville are getting healthier and more active thanks to a new program that takes junk food out of their school. Starting back in July, administrators at Northeast Elementary began a complete overhaul of the school's lunch menu and physical education program. That means no junk food of any kind. Items like wheat bread, fruits, veggies and even turkey hot dogs can now be found behind freezer doors. The school also put into place a new daily exercise program and school officials say so far it's working. "I had a mother tell me last week that they were at the grocery store and her son said, mom we need to get more fruit. We talked about fruit today and that's on the food pyramid." Says Northeast principal Kathy Houpt "So we're hearing interesting stories from parents that kids are more focused on eating healthy." she says The principal says cup cakes aren't even allowed for birthday parties anymore, as they aim for healthier food choices.
‘Skippy and Oaf’
ESCANABA � In his book entitled �Skippy and Oaf � The Battle Against Oxygen Radicals,� Craig S. Cousineau teaches children about the benefits of choosing good foods over junk food.
Cousineau, who now lives in Ann Arbor and is majoring in molecular biology at the University of Michigan, wrote the book while interning as a creative consultant at the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (ISD). ISD General Education Curriculum and Services Director Kristine Paulson, Cousineau�s supervisor, asked if he could come up with a way to make health and nutrition appeal to lower-level school children.
Cousineau immediately began developing a lesson plan, but his ideas grew to the point that he decided to write a book that would teach children about the importance of healthy eating habits while simultaneously stimulating their imaginations.
Lawmakers to push legislation to curb sale of junk foods
Massachusetts lawmakers will resume efforts this fall to crack down on certain junk foods in schools, empowered by a new congressional report that sets standards for school nutrition. In one measure, they will debate whether to restrict schools from selling certain junk foods, and, in a second measure, they are proposing a ban on all corporate advertisements, including those that pitch unhealthy foods and soft drinks. The junk food bill would require schools to offer a healthier selection of foods, such as items with zero trans-fats and less than 200 calories per portion. Students would still have access to vending machines, but during the school day their lunchrooms would replace snacks like fried potato chips and whole milk with baked chips and low-fat milk and offer dried fruit, nuts, and caffeine-free beverages.
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