December 13, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: DeShauna Ponton Child Nutrition Advocate |
A report released today by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) says that Pennsylvania has increased children’s consumption of School Breakfast, but only marginally. Although Pennsylvania shows improvement, more work needs to be done on our part to get more students to the school breakfast table. The report, School Breakfast Scorecard, shows how well states are performing in serving low-income children in the School Breakfast Program.
In Pennsylvania 13,238 more children ate school breakfasts in the 2004-05 school year than in 2003-04. Despite this increase, the report states that only 42 low-income children eat breakfast for every 100 who eat school lunch, which is less than the national average of 44 per 100. FRAC estimated that if Pennsylvania provided access to school breakfast at the level achieved by the top states (a ratio of 55 out of 100 low-income students), the program would serve an additional 97,495 children and provide a total of $19.7 million each year in additional federal funds to Pennsylvania schools
The Pittsburgh School District is working to promote healthy eating in their schools by implementing changes to their menus. Three schools, Carmalt and Fort Pitt Elementary, and Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) are modifying their menus by participating in the federal Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Pilot.
Also, the Pittsburgh School Board banned all carbonated beverages and chips from school vending machines and school events on and off campus to further fight obesity.
We are facing an increasing epidemic across the nation: childhood obesity and overweight. If gone unchecked children will experience serious health risks such as insulin resistant diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Besides feeding our children nutritious meals at home, encouraging participation in Child Nutrition Programs such as the School Breakfast Program can help to fight obesity according to an October report by FRAC.
“As an educator and former director of a school lunch program I am aware of the many benefits that the program provides to our children along with the challenges in managing such a program” says Elizabeth Vargo MS, RD, LDN, Director of Dietetic Programs at Community College of Allegheny County.
Child Nutrition Programs such as the School Breakfast program can play an important part in obesity prevention. This is because of the strict federal dietary guidelines for fat content in the meals also they provide children with one fourth of their Recommended Dietary Allowances.
Ms Vargo says, “The school meals programs have a double challenge to not only provide nourishment and to satisfy hunger but to serve as an educational tool. Children are introduced to new foods and encouraged to add them to their diet.”
The report can be found on FRAC’s website at http://www.frac.org/pdf/2005_SBP.pdf
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Just Harvest – a Center for Action Against Hunger- is a countywide membership organization which promotes economic justice and works to influence public policy and to educate, empower, and mobilize the citizens of our community towards the elimination of hunger. www.justharvest.org
FRAC is the leading national organization working for more effective public policies to eradicate domestic hunger and malnutrition. www.frac.org