Health Organizations & Advocates to Congress: Do Not Weaken Nutritional Progress
As House Republicans move forward with their shameless agriculture budget, take a look at what advocates and health organizations across the country are saying about efforts to roll back on school nutrition standards:
American Diabetes Association:
"On behalf of the nearly 26 million Americans with diabetes, and the 79 million with prediabetes who are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, I am writing to ask you to protect the integrity of federal nutrition programs as you complete the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2015."…please work to keep our kids healthy and stop diabetes."
American Academy of Pediatrics:
"On behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a non-profit professional organization of 62,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, I write to urge you to maintain the nutritional standards and scientific integrity of the school meals program…"AAP urges you to remain on the side of the sound scientific recommendations…"
American Public Health Association:
"On behalf of the American Public Health Association, I write to urge you to oppose the inclusion of any policy riders to weaken, delay or otherwise alter any child nutrition programs in the FY 2015 House agriculture appropriations bill. Congress should not use the appropriations process to intervene in science-based rules regarding federal child nutrition programs…Unfortunately, the House agriculture appropriations bill contains a waiver to allow schools to opt out of school meal nutrition standards."
"On behalf of National PTA's 4.3 million members comprised of parents, families, students, administrators and community members, I write in opposition to language included in the Fiscal Year 2015 Appropriations Bill that would scale back nutrition standards for school meals."At a time when one-third of our nation's children are overweight or obese, we cannot stand for scaling back nutrition guidelines and comprising our federal investment in children's health."
"…The American Heart Association strongly urges you to oppose provisions that would allow schools to opt out of nutrition standard for foods served in schools…I would encourage you to speak out against attempts to turn back the clock on children's health."
More than 200 national, state and local organizations:
"We…strongly oppose efforts to use the appropriations process to change or weaken federal child nutrition programs, including potential efforts to require the inclusion of white potatoes in the WIC Program, to alter or delay implementation of meal standards in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, or to weaken or delay rules to limit sugary beverages and unhealthy snack foods in our nation's schools…Science-based decisions have served our children and our nation well."
National Education Association (NEA):
"On behalf of the 3 million members of the National Education Association (NEA), and the students they serve, we urge you to OPPOSE provisions in the FY 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would undermine or delay new nutrition standards for school meals adopted under the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act and SUPPORT any efforts that would restore these vital standards."NEA believes that proper nutrition is essential to child development and student success. The clear link between good nutrition and learning is evident in schools across the nation every day.
"NEA strongly supports the school meal nutrition standards in the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. These common-sense requirements are essential to ensuring all children a healthy and successful start in life, particularly those whose families cannot afford to provide fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods at home on a regular basis. The benefits and cost-savings to our children and our nation in the long-run will be significant."
First Focus Campaign for Children:
"Federal child nutrition programs help alleviate hunger and improve child obesity rates, as both can be a consequence of inadequate diets and poor nutrition. Federal nutrition programs are effective investments that protect against hunger, improve nutrition, and promote health."FFCC opposes efforts to use the appropriations process to change or weaken federal child nutrition programs…Child nutrition programs are vital tools in protecting against hunger and improving childhood obesity rates through providing balanced diets for all of our nation's children and the programs should be strengthened and built upon, rather than weakened."
"I am writing to urge you to reject provisions in the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would undermine the science-based nutrition standards for the school nutrition programs…"We recognize that the new changes to the school meal programs can present a variety of challenges to schools…"
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees:
"On behalf of the 1.6 million members, including 75,000 school food service workers, of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), I urge you to oppose language [that] weaken[s] nutritional improvements in the school meals…"
"Trust for America's Health (TFAH) urges you to oppose provisions in fiscal year…Agriculture Appropriations bill (H.R.4800) that would restrict, delay, or weaken efforts to ensure our nation's children are eating healthy… We urge Congress to instead focus on adequately funding USDA to carry out its responsibilities under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kid Act."… At a time when we may finally be making progress against the health effects of obesity, going forward with these provisions in the Agriculture Appropriations bill would be a dangerous step backwards for our children's health and future."
American Federation of Teachers:
"On behalf of the more than 1.5 million members of the American Federation of Teachers, I strongly urge you to oppose provisions in the FY 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would roll back the healthy nutrition standards in our National School Meals Program"Our kids come first. That is why communities, parents, food service workers, and educators came together, demanded change, and supported access to healthier meals for all students. These standards are now in place and are working."
Nineteen former presidents of the School Nutrition Association and 450 retired admirals and generals have already urged Congress to refrain from weakening the standards. At a time when childhood obesity rates are just starting to level off, and 90 percent of school districts are meeting the school lunch standards, now is not the time to roll back school lunch standards and threaten our children's well-being.