Nutrition Standards Resolution

Resolution in Support of Establishing Science-Based Nutrition Standards for ALL Foods Sold in North Carolina Schools

WHEREAS, in June 2010 the Trust for America’s Health ranked NC as the 10th most obese state in the nation for adults and the 11th most overweight and obese state for children¹ ; and

WHEREAS, 33.5% of NC children aged 10-17 are overweight or obese, compared to 31.6% nationally² ; and research shows that children who are overweight or obese have a greater likelihood of being overweight or obese as adults³ ; and

WHEREAS, a continued increase in childhood obesity will cause the current generation of children to be the first generation in American history to have a shorter lifespan than their parents⁴ ; and

WHEREAS, individuals who are obese have annual medical costs 37.4% higher than their healthy weight counterparts, representing an additional $732 per obese person, per year⁵ ; and

WHEREAS, the average overweight NC child will accrue $28,619 in direct medical expenses by the midpoint of his/her career and over $250,000 in direct health care costs by his/her retirement⁶ ; and

WHEREAS, balanced nutrition plays a critical role in achieving good health by helping to maintain a healthy body weight and prevent chronic disease ⁷; and

WHEREAS, studies show that children consume up to 47% of their total daily calories from meals and snacks at school including food from all sources, such as à la carte, vending machines, school stores and school lunches⁸ ; and

WHEREAS, a student’s dietary habits are influenced by the food environment of their schools⁹ and studies show that limiting access to low-nutrient, energy-dense foods to children at school can lower daily caloric intake and assist in controlling their weight¹⁰ ; and

WHEREAS, in addition to cafeterias, nearly all schools offer competitive foods including à la carte items, vending machines or school stores at which children have access to food¹¹ . A recent national study found that 40% of students consumed one or more competitive foods on a typical school day; the most popular foods included juice drinks, cookies/cakes/brownies, chips, candy and carbonated sodas¹² . In line with this trend, the most common competitive foods sold on NC school campuses are high in fat, calories and low in nutritional value; and

WHEREAS, the lunches and breakfasts provided as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and National School Breakfast Program (NSBP) are currently required to meet federal nutrition standards. However, state nutrition standards are incomplete and weaker than current science-based nutrition standards that govern the sale of competitive foods and beverages sold in schools including, but not limited to, à la carte items, vending, schools stores, fundraisers and other venues available to students during the school day;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the undersigned believe that all children should have access to healthy foods that promote their health and learning while at school, and therefore endorses that ALL foods available in North Carolina schools be guided by a set of mandatory nutrition standards that are based on sound nutritional science.

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List Serv

1) The Trust for Americas Health (TFAH). (2010). "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America." http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/20100629fasinfatmainreport.pdf .

2) National Survey of Children’s Health (2007), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Available at http://nschdata.org/ranking/rankingmap.aspx?item=07 4a. (Accessed March 13, 2010).

3) Guo, Shumei S., Wei Wu, William C. Chumlea, and Alex F. Roche. "Predicting overweight and obesity in adulthood from body mass index values in childhood and adolescence1." Am J Clin Nutr 76 (2002): 653-58. Print.

4) United States Senate. (2004). The Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004.

5) Finkelstein EA., Fiebelkorn IC, Wang G. National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: how much, and who's paying? Health.Aff. 2003, Suppl Web Exclusives, W3-219-26.

6) Be Active North Carolina. (2008). Tipping the Scales, How Obesity and Unhealthy Lifestyles Have Become a Weighty Problem for the NC Economy. Pg 13, http://www.beactivenc.org/threepercent/download/tipping_the_scales.pdf.

7) United States of America. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. US Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, 6th Edition. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 2005. www.cnpp.usda.gov, 1 Jan. 2005. Web. 22 Jan. 2010.

8) Condon, Elizabeth M., Mary K. Crepinsek, and Mary K. Fox. "School Meals: Types of Foods Offered to and Consumed by Children at Lunch and Breakfast." J Am Diet Assoc 109 (2009): S67-78. Print.

9) United States of America. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. US Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, 6th Edition. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 2005. www.cnpp.usda.gov, 1 Jan. 2005. Web. 22 Jan. 2010.

10) Fox, Mary K., Allison H. Dodd, Ander Wilson, and Philip M. Gleason. "Association between School Food Environment and Practices and Body Mass Index of US Public School Children." J Am Diet Assoc 109 (2009): S108-117. Print.

11) Pateman BC, McKinney P, Kann L, Small ML, Warren CW, Collins JL. School food service. J Sch Health. 1995;65:327-332.

12) Fox, Mary K., Anne Gordon, Renee Nogales, and Ander Wilson. "Availability and Consumption of Competitive Foods in US Public Schools." J Am Diet Assoc 109 (2009): S57-66. Print.